The Queen and I
by Mimi Dinosaur
Summary: [Descendants of the Sun] Circumstances forced Kang Mo-Yeon to assume the throne and become Queen of Urk. But a controversy is stirring the peaceful kingdom, murders are being uncovered, and one of her Generals is stabbing her in the back. Will she learn to become a more proper queen and rise through these conflicts with her new Captain of Royal Guards Yoo Shi-Jin beside her?
1. The Captain Returns

Chapter 1

"Your highness, please, you need to make it to the meeting."

Kang Mo-Yeon gave an unintelligible grunt and buried her face deeper in her sheets. _These sheets are heavenly, I should ask Myeong-Joo to get more of this stuff for me,_ she thought before letting her resolve dissolve back to slumber.

"Your highness, please" Choi Min-Ji insists, a bit more desperate this time, knowing it's not exactly the best behavior for a servant to touch her queen unless given permission to. "It's almost nine and the generals appreciate it if you make them wait again this time."

Min-Ji knows her words are falling on deaf ears as Mo-Yeon has successfully returned to sleep. She hears quiet snoring emanating from under the sheets. "Oh no, what do I do again this time!" She cries out silently, her hands desperately searching her head for answers.

It's been like this for four years now, ever since Mo-Yeon has assumed the highest position in the land of Urk—morning after morning of Min-Ji trying to wake Mo-Yeon up in time for her morning schedule, and Mo-Yeon, the not-so-morning-person that she is, desperately clinging to her comfortable bed.

And to save yet another morning, Myeong-Joo barges in Mo-Yeon's bed chambers and heads straight for their royal sleeping beauty.

"Get up, you lazy bum!" To Min-Ji's horror, Myeong-Joo aggressively drags Mo-Yeon's body below the mountains of pillows and sheets. Mo-Yeon wails in defiance, clutching a huge feather pillow to her body.

"We're sorry, your highness, but you have to get up now," Min-Ji says apologetically, looking at the pillow tug of war ensuing between Mo-Yeon and Myeong-Joo.

"Don't apologize to this lazy piece of ass, Min-Ji!" Myeong-Joo says through gritted teeth. "Her whole kingdom's awake and yet, she's still on her bed, trying to be a spoiled brat!"

"Myeong-Joo, you meany!" Mo-Yeon pouts at her commander-in-chief, finally letting go of the pillow they've been fighting over. She slumps resignedly on the floor, her back leaning on the bed. "But I'm soooooo sleepy! I've stayed up 'til three in the morning watching hilarious videos of kittens and puppies!"

"That sounds about right for this kingdom's queen, don't you think, Min-Ji?" Myeong-Joo rolls her eyes as Min-Ji starts straightening up the bed. "Come on, Min-Ji has your bath ready. We're almost complete at the conference room so you better drag your sleepy ass there in 10 minutes."

"Yes, ma'am," Mo-Yeon sighs, dragging her body across the room towards the door leading to the bathroom. Myeong-Joo leans on the door frame of the bedroom, her hands crossed over her chest, and gives Mo-Yeon one last I'm-watching-you look, before marching out back to the conference room.

"Good morning, your highness! Your bath for today is milk and rose petals. I hope you find the temperature agreeable," Min-Ji enters the bathroom after Mo-Yeon and picks up the trail of clothes left by her queen.

Mo-Yeon gives Min-Ji a grin and a thumbs-up, and gets rid of her last piece of clothing. She dips a toe on the bath tub, testing the temperature of the water, and slides her whole body in. She exhales contentedly, savoring the fragrance of the bath and the warm temperature of the water. "So what's for today, Min-Ji?"

Min-Ji sits beside Mo-Yeon's tub and fishes out a tablet from her front apron. "After your nine o'clock at the conference room with your commander-in-chief and the rest of the generals, you have a few hours before your lunch at the green house with Mr. Park, Mr. Soo, and Mrs. Ha. There's a two o'clock meeting with the education minister after that—we can't reschedule anymore, your highness, he's been trying to get a hold of you for weeks now and he says he won't take no for an answer this time—and then a four o'clock with the budget mistress. At five, the tailor will be coming in for your fitting for next week's gala so I've cleared the rest of the afternoon 'til dinner just so you'll have some breathing time. By seven—"

"Please clear everything after the tailor, Min-Ji," Mo-Yeon cuts in.

"But, your highness—"

"Thank you, you're an angel," Mo-Yeon smiles at her and fishes out her towel. Min-Ji gives out a resigned sigh and follows Mo-Yeon to her walk-in dresser.

After Kang Mo-Yeon was crowned as Queen of Urk, she decreed that the wearing of royal gowns will be saved for the more formal occasions and ceremonies. She felt that at this age, huge gowns were not only a waste of fabric, but also irrelevant to the current fashion milieu. Urk is one of the top exporters of cheap but quality fabric in the world and Mo-Yeon has always envisioned her kingdom to become a fashion central like London or Paris.

Although Min-Ji has insisted that she employ a stylist to help her with her everyday clothes, Mo-Yeon disagreed and she has since been shopping and picking clothes for herself. This has brought hundreds of designers and brands from all over the world knocking on the doors of the Urk royal castle, showcasing their best pieces to the queen and her high ministers and consultants.

Mo-Yeon picked a black shift dress with a high collar, sleeves that go past her wrists, and the hem just skimming her knees, and puts on a long black sleeveless blazer. She pulls a pair of pink Walter Steiger pumps and marches out back to her bedroom to put on a pair of pearl studs. She then twirls and poses childishly for Min-Ji, which earns a little chuckle from her handmaid, and asks, "How do I look?"

"While it's improper for me to criticize you, you know that, your highness, please do know that I genuinely think you look dashing, as always," Min-Ji smiles at Mo-Yeon.

Mo-Yeon, obviously pleased with herself, then heads to the conference room with Min-Ji at her side. "Myeong-Joo won't stop whining about getting a new captain for the Royal Guards. Seriously, I really think she lacks trust in her queen."

"Commander Kim only looks out for you, your highness. And please forgive me for saying this, but the commander looks terribly worn out," Min-Ji responds. Mo-Yeon looks at Min-Ji, chewing on her lower lip. "She's been covering for both the positions of commander in chief and captain for the past years, too."

Mo-Yeon nods in agreement. "Well, she's still single, and she's grump 90 percent of the time, too! Maybe she does need some break. Maybe she needs a man!"

Min-Ji blushes and walks a little faster to stay a few steps in front of Mo-Yeon, and opens the door to the conference room for her. She then walks away with a low bow.

Mo-Yeon arrives to the conference room packed. The generals were noisily conversing with each other around the long table in the middle of the room; as she arrives, they all stand up and offer a bow. Mo-Yeon gets to her seat at the end of the table, with Myeong-Joo at her right, and motions for everyone to take their seats.

"You all look lovely today, thank you for coming," Mo-Yeon smiles at her generals, melting the hard and calloused hearts of her men. "We here at Urk are blessed to have yet another peaceful month. And since we are only conducting this general assembly out of Commander Kim's insistence—" The generals snicker and Mo-Yeon earns a glare from her right "—I'm handing the floor to our commander-in-chief for the report. Myeong-Joo, please."

"The ten states of Urk are in all good health and peace, thanks to the continued guidance of our Queen and of the hard work of our generals," Myeong-Joo starts, her strong and commanding voice filling the room. "Apart from the usual petty crimes here and there, the only substantial cause of disturbance that we would like everyone to know about today comes from the Second State of Dul. We've received reports that unregistered arms were found by roving policemen in an overdue-parked truck at the Park of The Queen of Elegance. There were thirty AKs found inside the truck, hidden among crates of bread and flour. General Park Byung-Soo, could you please fill us in?"

General Byung-Soo of the Second State of Dul arranges the papers in front of him and clears his throat. "The thirty Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles found inside the truck were found by two policemen roving the area at two in the morning two days ago. Based from the other contents of the truck, we were able to infer that my men have stumbled upon the truck only hours after it was abandoned. We're investigating all local bakeries for more information about the unregistered guns but have yet to gain substantial information about the found firearms. The firearms are now in custody of the Second State Police and no fingerprints have been found on the weapons, nor on the truck."

"Thank you, General Park Byung-Soo." Myeong-Joo nods at Byung-Soo. "To the other generals, please leave all your reports and paperwork with Lieutenant Kim Gi-Bum."

"That was quick! Any more from our other generals?" Mo-Yeon signals at the other generals and grins. "No? Okay, great meeting! We're adjourned."

The generals started collecting their papers and turning them over to Gi-Bum at the far end of the long table. The generals then, one-by-one, approach Mo-Yeon for a brief conversation or a farewell, before leaving the conference room. Some of the men hung around and engaged themselves in animated talks with the other generals.

"Myeong-Joo—" Mo-Yeon starts to talk to her commander-in-chief before she notices that Myeong-Joo was not in her seat. She then cranes her neck and scours the room for Myeong-Joo before she notices her approaching with a rather unfamiliar man in tow. Equipped not with the best eyes, Mo-Yeon squints and tries to identify the man beside Mo-Yeon, and a faint hint of familiarity hits her. _He looks vaguely familiar but I'm not too sure where I've seen him before,_ she thought.

"Mo-Yeon, here's the advisor I've been telling you about," It's only been a few words but Mo-Yeon's lips starts to turn into a scowl. "Wipe that expression from your face, Mo-Yeon, it's improper for a queen to act like a brat. He's come from all over the world but thanks to our chief of royal police, he has agreed to come back and serve the Kingdom of Urk. Captain, please introduce yourself."

The man goes into a deep bow and kisses the top of Mo-Yeon's hand. "Okay, you're a gentleman, that's great. Who are you?" Mo-Yeon snaps at him impatiently. The man smirks and puts his hand to his temple in a salute.

"I've last been destined at the Republic of Korea, serving as a consultant directly for President Kim Dae-Hwan. Captain Yoo Shi-Jin, your highness, at your service."


	2. Call Me Doctor Kang

Chapter 2

"Mo-Yeon, here's the advisor I've been telling you about," It's only been a few words but Mo-Yeon's lips starts to turn into a scowl. "Wipe that expression from your face, Mo-Yeon, it's improper for a queen to act like a brat. He's come from all over the world but thanks to our chief of royal police, he has agreed to come back and serve the Kingdom of Urk. Captain, please introduce yourself."

Mo-Yeon looks at the man in front of her and starts chewing on her lower lip. He looks vaguely familiar but couldn't quite put a name or a memory to his face. His face was young, beautiful, but it looked to Mo-Yeon that he's been through a lot. There's wisdom lurking behind his gentle eyes, and a certain commanding brute to his aura, similar to Myeong-Joo's. Their eyes interlock as the man bows to her and kisses her knuckles.

"Okay, you're a gentleman, that's great. Who are you?" Mo-Yeon snaps at him impatiently. Immediately, she knew she wouldn't get along with him.

The man smirks and puts his hand to his temple in a salute. "I've last been destined at the Republic of Korea, serving as a consultant directly for President Kim Dae-Hwan. Captain Yoo Shi-Jin, your highness, at your service."

"At ease, captain." Mo-Yeon offers a single nod, eyeing Yoo Shi-Jin carefully.

Myeong-Joo rests her weight on one leg, one hand resting on her waist, not minding the generals still lurking around the room. "Captain Yoo Shi-Jin served as Her Excellency Queen Ah In's Chief of Royal Police five years ago. He's been sent to our various neighboring allies to act on behalf of Urk, and also, at times, as consultant and aid."

Mo-Yeon is usually very comfortable about military men, growing up surrounded by them. But for some odd reason, she could not sit as comfortably in front of this Yoo Shi-Jin. She already heard his name before from Myeong-Joo and her defence minister Mr. Lee Jong Hyuk, but she has never really paid attention to half the things they say.

"I've been sent by Her late Excellency Queen Ah-In to Great Britan in 2008, and then was transferred to the Kingdom of Netherlands in 2009. After Her Excellency passed on in 2009, I was instructed by the defence minister and the commander-in-chief to continue aiding our allies in behalf of the crown. I also served as an advisor and aid to His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni of the Kingdom of Cambodia in 2010, and then shortly, trained royal troops for the late King George Tupou V of the Kingdom of Tonga. Before my assignment at the Republic of Korea, I've also served shortly for our allies in Europe, Middle East, and Asia," Yoo Shi Jin explains.

"Okay so you've met all them big names. I have, too," Mo-Yeon's eyes narrow at Yoo Shi-Jin, and then she turns to Myeong-Joo. "So what exactly do we need him for here in Urk, then?"

Myeong-Joo groans and grabs a chair beside Mo-Yeon. The generals have all left the conference room and it's just the three of them and a couple of servants cleaning up left in the room. She rests her chin on an elbow propped on the table and says in a bored voice, "I'm exhausted, Mo-Yeon, honestly. I've been your commander-in-chief **and** captain of the royal guards for four years now. I could really use some help and Yoo Shi Jin here has been very kind to return to Urk to serve your royal pain in the ass."

Shi-Jin crosses his arms across his chest and smiles, leaning on Myeong-Joo's seat. "I have a very small paycheck, you won't even feel it, your highness."

Mo-Yeon glares at Shi-Jin. _I don't like him already,_ she tries to signal to Myeong-Joo.

Myeong-Joo sighs and stands up. "So we good, here?"

Mo-Yeon abruptly rises from her seat. "What? Wait! I haven't said yes!"

"Captain Yoo Shi-Jin will be starting today. He'll be acting as the new Captain of the Royal Guards, with Seo Dae-Young as his Chief of Royal Police," Myeong-Joo says with finality. "By the way, I just fired Dong-Gyu yesterday. He's sleeping around and I don't like it. So Shi-Jin will also be acting now as your new executive advisor. He said he's also willing to babysit you instead of me so that's that. I'll let the budget ministry know they can deduct Shi-Jin's pay from mine, I don't need all of that money, anyway, it's not like I have a boyfriend."

Before Mo-Yeon can say anything, Myeong-Joo pinches both of her cheeks and marches out of the conference room, leaving her with her new captain-slash-advisor-slash-babysitter. "I took the rest of the day off, don't look for me!" Myeong-Joo calls out before her footsteps can no longer be heard from the conference room.

Mo-Yeon slumps back resignedly to her seat and pouts. Shi Jin looks at her and crouches so his face is level with hers. "Myeong-Joo says I should call you Doctor Kang."

"You can call me your highness, like everyone else," Mo-Yeon snaps at him, avoiding his eyes. "And just so you know, I don't need your help."

"Doctor Kang, it is then." Shi-Jin smiles and stands up. At the corner of her eye, Mo-Yeon watches Shi-Jin as he whips a smartphone from his pocket and stares at it intently. "You know, you can skip lunch and just let your budget mistress meet the business folks. You can then meet the education minister and budget mistress at the same time at four."

"Where did you get my schedule?" Mo-Yeon asks, her tone rising. She stands up from her seat. _Although that sounds like a great plan._

"Min-Ji has synched her calendar with mine," Shi-Jin says proudly, showing the phone to Mo-Yeon.

Mo-Yeon glares at him and tries to snatch the smartphone but Shi-Jin quickly tossed the phone into the air. As if time slowed down, Mo-Yeon watched the phone rise in the air and fall into the other hand of Shi-Jin behind his back. "Personal property, Doctor Kang."

"You shouldn't talk to your queen like that."

"I probably shouldn't." Shi-Jin nods.

Mo-Yeon scowls at Shi-Jin's face and heads for the door. Shi-Jin chuckles to himself and follows Mo-Yeon out of the conference room, his other hand still playing mindlessly with the smartphone.

 **xxxxxx**

" _Your majesty, I think you'll find that you'll have more use for me here than thousands of miles away."_

 _The day was quite nice and Ah-In was enjoying her afternoon tea in the garden. Across her sat Yoo Shi-Jin, the Chief of the Royal Police, and Yoo Sung-Jin, Captain of the Royal Guards and Shi-Jin's father. Ah-In silently brought the cup to her lips as she watched Shi-Jin try to get out of his new assignment._

" _You're being ill-mannered, Shi-Jin." Sung-Jin sent a disapproving look towards his son. "Her majesty the Queen and I have talked about this in great length."_

 _Shi-Jin never easily backed down and getting sent away was not one of the options he would easily take. "Your majesty, with all due respect—"_

" _Shi-Jin, my dearest chief, you have been like a son to me. And I understand you would want to stay here in Urk," Ah-In says with a kind smile, her hand reaching out to Shi-Jin's across the table. Ah-In was known all over the Urk as the Gentle Queen and it was sure a befitting title; no one can resist her when she's asking so nicely. "But I can't afford to send just anyone on behalf of the Crown. You have been one of my most faithful, smartest, and bravest officers. But your father and I have agreed that you need more experience; you need to see more and know more before you can succeed Sung-Jin. And Sung-Jin is getting old, too!" Ah-In chuckles discreetly. "When I am gone, and old Sung-Jin, too, you will take good care of my Mo-Yeon, won't you?"_

" _Please don't talk like that, Your Majesty," Shi-Jin lowered his gaze._

" _Fate could not be escaped, as is death," Ah-In said silently. "This journey will not only bring Urk pride and more allies, but also help you become the man you are destined to be."_

" _You always know the most beautiful words to say." Shi-Jin says resignedly, a sad but gentle smile creeping onto his lips._

" _It is impossible for the Queen to know everything. But it is the Queen's job to know the right words to say, always," Ah-In gives Shi-Jin's hand a gently squeeze._

" _You'll make us proud, Yoo Shi-Jin."_


	3. The Queen Starts To Train

Chapter 3

Mo-Yeon hears the curtains being opened and footsteps fill the room. She groans and pulls the sheets to cover her head. "I'm a vampire! You're killing your queen!"

"Rise and shine, Doctor Kang. The weather is nice and your schedule is quite free. Why don't we take a walk?"

Mo-Yeon expected to hear Min-Ji desperately cooing her out of sleep but instead, she hears a voice of a man. Shi-Jin sat on her dresser chair, his left leg crossed over his right. He picks up the cup of coffee he put down at the dresser and watches Mo-Yeon struggling to stay asleep. "It's almost nine. The whole kingdom is awake, but you."

"You sound just like Myeong-Joo. I hate both of you. Bring me Min-Ji!" Mo-Yeon pulls the sheets from her face and sits up. Shi-Jin watches her as she tries to rub the sleepiness from her eyes. Mo-Yeon then realizes that Shi-Jin has been staring at her in her night gown, with her hair disheveled from sleep, and a bit of a drool still hanging at the corner of her mouth. She blushes and quickly pulls the covers to her nose. "Get out!"

Shi-Jin laughs and stands up, bringing his cup of coffee with him. Min-Ji emerges from the bathroom, bowing repeatedly to Mo-Yeon in apology. "I'm sorry, your highness, but Commander Kim has explicitly instructed me to follow Captain Yoo's orders—and he's been waiting for you to wake up since six in the morning, too!"

"Six?!" Mo-Yeon looks incredulously at Shi-Jin. "Who in their right mind wakes up earlier than ten!"

Shi-Jin shakes his head in disbelief and heads towards the door. He calls out to Mo-Yeon, his back turned to her. "I'll be waiting for you at the dining hall, Doctor Kang."

"I can't believe him!" Mo-Yeon cries in frustration and makes her way to the bathroom. Min-Ji follows her with her towel and bath robe. "Can you believe him, walking in so casually inside a woman's bedroom like that? And not just any woman—her queen! Min-Ji, if you keep letting him wake me up like that I'm going to be in a very foul mood all day."

Mo-Yeon then proceeds with her morning ritual: bath, brush, clothes. For today, she pulls out a casual pink chiffon dress with rose patterns, a tie neck, clasped cuffs, and pleated skirt that goes to her knees. She then wears a pair of nude pointed-toe pumps.

Mo-Yeon continues to whine about Myeong-Joo not coming in to wake her up anymore and her new advisor not being respectful enough as she and Min-Ji head towards the dining hall for breakfast. As Mo-Yeon arrives at the dining hall, she finds Shi-Jin already seated across her seat, browsing through today's paper. Shi-Jin hears her come in and looks up from the paper, a bright smile on his face. "Ah, good morning, Doctor Kang."

"Morning," Mo-Yeon responds in a flat tone. She takes the seat at the end of the table and puts the folded napkin on her lap. A woman wearing a chef's outfit approaches her and lays a bowl of soup on her plate.

"Good morning, Ye-Hwa. This looks good, as always." Mo-Yeon beams at her chef.

"Today is cream of mushroom soup with truffle. I hope you enjoy it, Mo-Yeon." Ye-Hwa says proudly.

A lot of the servants at the castle call Mo-Yeon by her name since all of them grew together inside the castle walls. Also, to Mo-Yeon's insistence, some of the officers and servants closest to her do away with the honorifics if they are not in front of the public or a meeting. Min-Ji, however, refuses to call Mo-Yeon by her name no matter how much she asks her to. Min-Ji sits beside Mo-Yeon and unfolds the napkin on her lap.

Mo-Yeon starts on her soup as Shi-Jin puts down the paper and folds it on the chair beside him. He picks up his cup of coffee and stares at Mo-Yeon. "You're pretty laid back for a queen; you're lucky. A lot of kings and queens I've worked with all have their hands full even though they have a prime minster and a president."

"As you may have noticed, Urk is a small kingdom, Captain Yoo Shi-Jin. And very peaceful, too. My advisors and Myeong-Joo take care of most of the work. That's why I don't understand why I need you," Mo-Yeon replies, not looking up from her soup. She then beckons for a servant to take her soup and it was replaced with toast, eggs, and salmon.

Shi-Jin shrugs. "Myeong-Joo was the one who called me back. I would have continued creating and maintaining international relations on your behalf if she did not ask me to return." He puts down the cup, now empty. "Ah, and I think she's quite tired of babysitting you, if I heard her correctly."

Mo-Yeon ignores Shi-Jin and turns to Min-Ji. "I think sometimes people forget here that I'm their queen, don't you think, Min-Ji?"

Min-Ji shakes her head vigorously, her mouth too full with eggs and toast to make a decent reply without bits flying out of her mouth. Mo-Yeon smiles at how adorable Min-Ji is, always trying her best to make her feel better and pats her head.

"I personally think it's time to start your training, Doctor Kang. I've been told you've been studying medicine quite extensively but as Urk's Queen, you need to learn at least the basics of physical and tactical combat," Shi-Jin interrupts. "And just to put it out there, I think Grand Master Kang sounds more formidable than Doctor Kang. Imagine the possibilities!"

Mo-Yeon's face crumples, as if she smells something bad. "What was that smell? Does that smell like a bad joke? Ah yes, that must be you, Captain."

"I think Grand Master Kang sounds like an old grumpy man, Your Highness," Min-Ji adds.

"See! My most trusted counselor thinks it's not a great idea," Mo-Yeon motions to Min-Ji and continues attacking the beautifully-cooked eggs in front of her. "And I don't like guns."

"Hmm," Shi-Jin remembers Mo-Yeon's mother. "But they're quite handy, don't you think?"

"There's barely a use for firearms here in Urk. And I don't like physical activities, too."

"You'll never not find a certain level of skill in self-defense to be useful, Doctor Kang."

"I don't like hurting people, okay."

Shi-Jin pauses and replies, "Your officers and the members of the state police all do their parts to protect this Kingdom, your monarchy, and Your Majesty. While maintaining peace and order sometimes requires brute force, I don't think anyone of us enjoys hurting people. In fact, we see our job as protecting your people from getting hurt, not the other way around."

Mo-Yeon lets her fork rest at the end of her plate and she looks at Shi-Jin. Min-Ji, too, sensing tension, stops in the middle of her chewing. "I apologize; I did not mean to say that you did."

Shi-Jin smiles. "Apology, accepted. So, should we start with your training today?"

Mo-Yeon finds it hard to not frown at her new advisor. She looks at Min-Ji and asks, "Don't I have schedules for the day?"

Min-Ji quickly swallows her food and wipes her mouth. "Captain Yoo has taken the liberty of taking care of what needs to be taken care of. He has also cleared your schedule for the day."

 _Believe it or not, this is the only time I would appreciate a packed day, Min-Ji!_ Mo-Yeon cries inside her head. She looks warily at Shi-Jin and began chewing on her lower lip, thinking of some excuse to get out of training. _Would faking a stomach ache now work, I wonder?_

"Faking a stomach ache won't work, Doctor Kang." Shi-Jin interrupts her thought.

"Sheesh," Mo-Yeon scowls. "And I just dressed up so well, too!"

"I agree, you look beautiful," Shi-Jin replies, his eyes on her.

Mo-Yeon was taken aback and couldn't help the blush creeping up her cheeks. _What is wrong with you, Mo-Yeon? You look beautiful all the time! Him saying it doesn't make any difference!_ "I-I know!" She managed to stutter back at him.

Shi-Jin smirks and stands up. He approaches Mo-Yeon and bends towards her to level his gaze with hers. Mo-Yeon can feel his right hand settle on the backrest of her chair. "Should I help you pick a different outfit, I wonder, Doctor Kang?"

Mo-Yeon feels her face heat up some more and she stands up abruptly, her head knocking against Shi-Jin's. Min-Ji stood up in shock and reaches out to Mo-Yeon as both Mo-Yeon and Shi-Jin cradle their foreheads. Shi-Jin is laughing now, his hands still rubbing the redness in his forehead.

Mo-Yeon tries to stop herself from chuckling, too, and heads out of the dining hall to escape Shi-Jin's laughter ringing in her ears. She hears Min-Ji trying to keep up with her hurried strides and Shi-Jin calling out to her, "I'll be at Training Room 5, Doctor Kang!"

 **xxxxx**

 _Shi-Jin, Myeong-Joo, and Dae-Young all had their backs stretched out in the grass, looking at the stars. The three young officers stayed back for a little while after the farewell ceremony for Shi-Jin, who was leaving for Great Britain tomorrow. The Queen's Gardens was a favorite spot at night whenever the trio decides to hang around. During Ah-In's time, all the officers had their own houses outside the royal compound._

" _I told them I didn't want to leave," Shi-Jin said, clicking his tongue. Myeong-Joo and Dae-Young lied quietly at his sides._

" _When you return, you'll become an even bigger and more badass boss, Big Boss," Dae-Young replied._

" _Big Boss. What a joke. How can someone like him be called like that when he can't even go on a mission alone without whining?" Myeong-Joo rolled her eyes. "More like Whiny Boss."_

" _Hey, be kind to me. You won't see me for years, you know," Shi-Jin frowned at Myeong-Joo. "And right when you've been promoted to commander-in-chief, too. I thought I'll be able to take advantage of your new powers!"_

" _If you see father for me, tell him I miss him already," Myeong-Joo wraps her arm around Shi-Jin's. "But yeah, I'll miss you, too."_

" _Where is Commander Yoon exactly anyway?" Shi-Jin asked Myeong-Joo. Silence started to color the air. Dae-Young felt he needed to steer the conversation away._

" _Too bad you won't be here when Her Majesty's daughter comes back from the States. They say she's coming back to Urk next month and I hear she's quite a catch," Dae-Young elbowed Shi-Jin, his voice teasing. "And she's single, too!"_

 _Myeong-Joo sat up and glared at Dae-Young, her hands still holding Shi-Jin's arm. "Oy, Dae-Young, are you interested in Mo-Yeon?"_

" _Well, I don't know. We haven't seen her for three years. I'm pretty sure she's grown into a fine Crown Princess," Dae-Young grinned at Myeong-Joo. "Don't you think so, too, Big Boss?"_

" _Don't look at me, Dae-Young. I'm sworn to a life of non-commitment. With a career this successful, a face and body this beautiful, and a personality this charming, how can women get their hands off me? I need to be available for all of them!" Shi-Jin said proudly, his face convinced that what he's saying sounds perfectly sensible._

 _Dae-Young and Myeong-Joo looked at him unbelievingly and burst into laughter._

" _What? You think I'm funny, do you? Oy, this beast can't be held back."_

 _Dae-Young brought his hand to Shi-Jin's head and ruffled his hair. Myeong-Joo folded her arms on top of Shi-Jin's chest and laid her head down. "You'll be alright, Yoo Shi-Jin."_

" _I hope so, too."_

 **xxxxx**

Training Room 5 is a regular-sized training room built for members of the Royal Family. The whole floor of the room is softer than normal ground and different exercise and training equipment are stashed in shelves at the corner. A door is connected to the training room and it leads to a quaint shooting range. Shi-Jin particularly remembered this training room—it was the room that the late Queen favored among others.

The Gentle Queen was undoubtedly one of the warmest and refined persons Shi-Jin ever met. He always thought it was because she was the Queen and that Queens were normally born with such finesse. But despite her motherly nature, Queen Ah-In was known to be quite formidable with a gun—and not just any gun. The late Queen particularly favored sniper rifles. During the five years that Yoo Shi-Jin hopped from country to country, meeting royalty after royalty, never did she meet a queen—nor a king—that was as versed as Queen Ah-In in artilleries and munitions.

His thoughts then slowly creep back to Mo-Yeon. Unlike her mother, she's quite averse to guns and she made that perfectly clear during breakfast. _Maybe it's the doctor in her?_ He was looking through the training equipment on the shelves when Myeong-Joo comes in.

"Hey, do you need something?" Shi-Jin stops and meets Myeong-Joo at the middle of the room. "How is vacation treating you? You look like you need a spa session, or a trip to a nail bar."

Myeong-Joo fakes a laugh as a nod to his sarcasm. "You're starting training? How did you convince her?"

Shi-Jin winks at Myeong-Joo. "Women can't resist my charm, Myeong-Joo, not even the Queen."

Myeong-Joo chuckles at him. "If there's anyone in the world that is the epitome of oblivious, that's Mo-Yeon. I personally have a theory that she's a plant dressed in Queen's clothes."

"Says the woman who is oh-so emotionally and romantically involved right now," Shi-Jin smirks at her.

Myeong-Joo punches him in the chest. And being the strong woman that she is, the playful punch turns out to be quite a painful one. Shi-Jin winced from the impact but hides it from her. "Well I came to say I'm glad your back. Just to get it out there."

"No, no, don't change the subject, Myeong-Joo," Shi-Jin's grin widens. "You're fighting with Dae-Young again, aren't you? I can tell."

Myeong-Joo turns red and turns his back on Shi-Jin. " **He** is fighting with me."

"It looks like it's you that's fighting him, actually." Shi-Jin laughs.

Myeong-Joo remains obstinate. "Well you're wrong! Just so you know, I asked him to throw you a welcome back surprise last night but he snorted at my face and said you don't need one."

Shi-Jin puts his arm around Myeong-Joo and brings her down with him to sit with their legs crossed on the floor. "I appreciate the thought, thank you Myeong-Joo."

"Whatever. You men are a pain in my ass." Myeong-Joo shrugs his hand off of her. "Even more so than Mo-Yeon."

"You know this is the first time I really got to talk to her. Before, she was always studying, or away, or studying. You look close to her, though." He looks at Myeong-Joo. "You never talked about her in our e-mails. Actually, scratch that, you rarely even e-mailed me!"

"We became close after Her Majesty died. And just so you know, we're pretty busy out here ever since Mo-Yeon became Queen. She's a mess, I tell you!" Myeong-Joo says exasperatedly, her hands running though her hair. "But she's come a long way. That's why we asked you to come back, because no one here has the time—nor the patience, mind you—to train her. It seemed like you two would get along and it looks like I was right. Of course, I'm always right."

"Well we're not getting along just fine, our Queen's a handful!" Shi-Jin shakes his head and sighs. "But I'm awesome, so don't worry. Why do you call her Doctor Kang, anyway? She's not even a doctor, yet."

"Actually she already is. Father said she was one of the top students in her class when she came back here, right after you left. She was supposed to stay in Urk just for a couple of months before flying back to some middle eastern country for a medical mission that will take years, she said," Myeong-Joo explains. "But then, you know the rest of the story."

"Hmm," Shi-Jin pauses. "Guess being a Queen hasn't always been in the plan."

"That's where you come in, I suppose." Myeong-Joo shrugs.

"You make it sound like I'm a terrible improviser," A voice rang out from across the room. Shi-Jin and Myeong-Joo stand up and look at the source of the voice. They see Mo-Yeon in her workout clothes step in.

"Well, I'll let you guys get to it." Myeong-Joo says and makes her exit. "Later, Doctor Kang."

"I see you've been talking behind my back," Mo-Yeon glares at Shi-Jin.

"So for today's lesson—"

"Hah! Classic evasion technique!" Mo-Yeon cuts him. "You think you can get away with everything, don't you, Captain Yoo Shi-Jin?"

Shi-Jin approaches Mo-Yeon and stops just inches from her. Mo-Yeon can almost feel his breath across her face but she held her ground and looked at him straight in the eye.

"I'll let you know, Doctor Kang, that I'm not trying to get away from you."

"Maybe you should. I'm pretty scary. I'm the Queen."

"That sounds very logical to me. And very scary, too." Shi-Jin takes one small step closer to her and now, definitely, she can feel his breathing in front of her. Mo-Yeon starts to chew her lower lip in defiance and squint her eyes at him dangerously.

"Maybe I'll have your head for tomorrow's breakfast, Captain Yoo Shi-Jin."

"You can call drop the pleasantries, Doctor Kang, it's just the two of us here."

"That's my line, if you don't mind."

"I think that's a call we can both make."

"I'm your Queen, Yoo Shi-Jin."

"I'm older than you, Doctor Kang. And your teacher, too."

"You're like two years older than me! Much older men follow my bidding!"

"Oh, I see that's how the Queen rolls. I never really saw you as the older men type," Shi-Jin winks at her.

Mo-Yeon feels her face starting to warm up again so she intentionally knocked her forehead against Shi-Jin's this time and ran away.

"I'll really have your head for tomorrow's breakfast!" Shi-Jin hears her voice and heavy steps fading, and chuckles to himself. He resigns and falls to the ground. _Sheesh, there's still so much she has to learn._


	4. I heart Yoo Shi Jin

Chapter 4

It's been a good five days since Shi-Jin has been appointed the new Captain of the Royal Guards and of these five, three days they have spent training—and for Mo-Yeon, it hasn't been the best days of her life. Her body is aching, her back sore, her mood foul from all the attitude Shi-Jin throws her way. But if there's one thing Mo-Yeon is tremendously good at, apart from studying, it's never giving up. If she fails at the end, then so be it. At least she will not go down without a fight.

Her relationship with Shi-Jin hasn't exactly been smooth either. Most of the time, they would bicker at each other endlessly, draining Mo-Yeon's energy even more than the practice. Sometimes, it seems a switch would suddenly flick and serious Shi-Jin is back, with wise words and no-nonsense comments. And just like that, he also goes back to hurling teases towards Mo-Yeon in a flash.

Working with Myeong-Joo hasn't been this exhausting since Myeong-Joo was only always reprimanding her and you kind of get used to that. But with Yoo Shi-Jin, it's different every minute, every hour. _It's like he's on an even worse PMS mood swing that me,_ Mo-Yeon thought. She closes her eyes and remembers snippets from the last five days.

 **xxxxx**

"How…many…more…of…this…are…we…doing…?" Mo-Yen tries to ask in between heavy and quick breaths as they continue jumping and clapping with Jumping Jacks.

"As long as you can!" Shi-Jin replies, not nearly as tired as his student. "We're measuring your stamina with Jumping Jacks, the method of the strong and cool people."

Mo-Yeon thought about speaking her mind, how she thinks the Jumping Jack is more like the method of the elementary kids, but she thought it would cost too much energy considering she was in the middle of all the jumping.

A few more Jumping Jacks and Mo-Yeon stops, out of breath, resting her hands on her knees. Shi-Jin clicks his timer and goes into a halt. "That was quick! I guess we have a lot to work on here."

Mo-Yeon nods, unable to speak. Strands of her hair were sticking all over her face since all the jumping has undone the loose ponytail she has come in. Shi-Jin approaches her and picks up the ponytail from the floor. He positions himself behind her and starts combing her hair with his fingers, reaching for the loose strands from her face. Mo-Yeon was taken by surprise by his sudden action and tries to yank her hair weakly from his grasp.

"Ew! I'm all sweaty, don't touch me!"

Shi-Jin ignores her and continues to fix her hair. He pulls her hair in a tight bun on top of her head. Mo-Yeon turns around to thank Shi-Jin, who she notices was smiling.

"There you go," he says, examining his work. "It's better when your hair's like this so I can see all of your beautiful face."

Mo-Yeon feels a little flushed and she punches a laughing Shi-Jin on the shoulder.

 **xxxxx**

It's been two hours since they started and Shi-Jin demonstrates exercise form number seventeen, which he calls The Invisible Chair.

"Invisible what?" Mo-Yeon asks, already too tired to laugh but her tone dripping with the intention to make fun of his naming all their exercise forms.

"Invisible Chair. Because it's like you're sitting in one!" Shi-Jin beams proudly.

Mo-Yeon looks incredulously at him, not holding back the chuckles and snorts. "That's lame, even for your standards!"

Shi-Jin throws a scowl at her. "You can laugh now but the Invisible Chair will make you cry in pain later." He continues. "Doctor Kang, please stand properly, feet together, and hands crossed on your chest like this."

Mo-Yeon follows his stance, which reminded her a bit of a mummy sleeping in his Sarcophagus. _Seems the apt metaphor for her training_ , she thought.

"Bring down your body like this," Shi-Jin's right foot steps slightly to the right, his legs folding as if falling into an invisible chair. Simultaneously, his arms uncross and stretch out in front of him. "Hold it for eight seconds, and then go back up with an exhale."

Mo-Yeon tries to copy Shi-Jin's demonstration and as she did, she felt her legs wobble and give away under her in just three seconds. She lands a huge thud into a floor, disappointed.

She was half-expecting Shi-Jin to laugh at her mockingly for her weakness but she is surprised that he rushes to her side, asking if she feels any pain in her legs or lower back. For a second, her eyes meet Shi-Jin's, which she noticed looked softer and kinder than usual, but she was quick to pull away from him.

 **xxxxx**

Mo-Yeon is seated on the floor, her legs folded underneath her in a Lotus position. Shi-Jin is seated across her, his eyes closed and his body unmoving. Mo-Yeon hears Shi-Jin's deep and almost inaudible voice fill the room as her eyes remained closed. "A great cool down after intense physical training is a long and quiet meditation. We'll hold this position for thirty minutes."

"Mhmm," Mo-Yeon replies softly.

Silence quickly settled into the room that Mo-Yeon could hear the wall clock's hand tick. She lets herself get absorbed into the rhythmic and steady tick of the clock, inhaling and exhaling in calculated intervals. She feels the darkness circle its arms around her, drawing her to her own heart's beating, which was quick but weak. An image starts to form at the back of her mind but she lets it go, unable to focus on the image, just like a camera trying to adjust its lens in vain. The sound of her heart fades until all she can hear was nothing.

Mo-Yeon opens her eyes and notices that she was already lying on the floor, with Shi-Jin meters away from her, busy fixing the shelves. She picks herself up from the ground and her shuffling causes Shi-Jin to look her way. She notices a smirk creep on his face. Alas, she fell asleep.

"Good morning, Your Sleepy Highness," Shi-Jin teases.

Mo-Yeon bites her lower lip in embarrassment and dusts her jogging pants. "Are we done for today? I think I'm going to head to my room."

Shi-Jin nods at her, still trying to keep the laughter from escaping his lips.

"Thank you for today, then." Mo-Yeon says hurriedly and runs out of the door, heading quickly towards her room. She lets herself in and bolts for her dresser, a loud sigh escaping her lips. Her hands fly to her face in embarrassment, remembering Shi-Jin's evil smirk.

"I was tired, okay!" She tries to reassure herself. Her eyes then slowly meet her own reflection at the mirror before letting out an angry outburst. She sees writing on her forehead in black permanent ink, which read: _I 3 Yoo Shi-Jin._

 **xxxxx**

Mo-Yeon tries to clear her head. She is currently soaking in a warm bath filled with bath salts and lavender to soothe her aching body and she's trying to focus on the temperature of the water and the fragrance of the bath oils to keep her thoughts from racing. Training with Shi-Jin hasn't been the hardest but since her body never was used to physical activity, just the tiniest bit of training pulls all the wrong muscles. _I will take tomorrow off. I need a break from his smug face, too._

Shi-Jin knocked on Mo-Yeon's bedroom door but there's no answer. _I wonder if she's still angry at me for drawing on her face after falling asleep in the middle of meditation,_ he thought. He pushes the door open and he finds the door unlocked. He makes a mental note to remind her to keep it locked at all times.

"Doctor Kang?" Shi-Jin calls out to her. He surveys the room and no sign of Mo-Yeon can be found. No sound was coming from any corner either. He makes his way to her bathroom to snoop around and finds the bathroom door slightly ajar. He pushes the door slightly and Mo-Yeon's head immediately snaps back to him. He sees Mo-Yeon submerged in a huge marble tub directly across the door.

"Are you crazy! Why are you in here?!" Mo Yeon shouts angrily and tries to throw a bar of soap at him. Shi-Jin immediately dodges and hides behind the door frame. He never meant to catch her taking a bath; he just mindlessly wandered and curiously went through an open door, after all.

"I've had enough of your ugly face for today, Yoo Shi-Jin!" Mo Yeon continues to shout at him. "And you shouldn't be here in the first place, you pervert! I will call my guards!"

"There's nothing much to see anyway, is there?" Shi-Jin laughs, his back pushed against the door frame, hiding from the seething Mo-Yeon.

"You're a horrible, horrible, perverted old man, do you know that?" Mo Yeon cries at him and Shi-Jin sees more bars of soaps, loofah, and even slippers fly out the door, maybe in hopes that one item catches him. For fun, he sidesteps back to the open door just in time for Mo Yeon to throw a bottle of bath soap. He catches the bottle just in time with both hands, like catching a baseball, and winks at Mo-Yeon before going back to cover behind the door frame.

He hears Mo-Yeon grunts in frustration.

"Tell me that wasn't pretty cool," Shi-Jin teases her.

"No, it wasn't. Go away!" Mo-Yeon snaps back at him.

Shi-Jin plays with the bottle in his hands, shifting the weight from his right to his left and then back. _Lavender, huh, that's how she always smells like._ Shi-Jin clears his throat for Mo-Yeon to hear clearly and asks in a more serious voice, "Seriously though, tell me, are you finding the training too hard?

Mo-Yeon hears the sincerity in his voice and stops thrashing her arms irritably around the water. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't want you to feel too burdened by your trainings, that's all. You look terribly tired today. Please tell me if you need me to moderate the training for you."

"Not really," Mo-Yeon hesitates. "I mean, they're actually pretty easy already, right? I feel like it's my body, not your training program, really."

"To each his own, right? I just want you to not hate training. I always loved training; her majesty the late Queen Ah-In did so too. So if we're doing something that's on a level that's not very comfortable for you, tell me honestly. You don't need to push yourself."

"Aren't trainings supposed to push my limits?"

"You're not training for the army, Doctor Kang. It's all just self-defense and basic physical training, after all." Shi-Jin adds, just to lighten up the mood, "Look at it as keeping yourself from getting fat."

Mo-Yeon reaches for her bathrobe and slides it on. She then climbs out of her tub, leaving trails of water as she walk towards the bedroom. She walks pass Shi-Jin still comfortably leaning on the doorway. She feels Shi-Jin's eyes follow her as she takes a seat in front her dresser. "No, it's fine. Maybe I want something that will test my limits."

Shi-Jin walks towards her and leans at her dresser, his body facing hers. He felt a little conscious about Mo-Yeon's lack of clothes but tries to keep it to himself. He reaches out to her and cradles a few strands of her still wet hair with his hand. "Why do you push yourself this hard, Doctor Kang?"

Mo-Yeon looks away from him, her hair sliding from his fingers. She bites her lower lip. "I'm the Queen now."

"I understand what it feels like, trying your hardest to impress others, to impress yourself," Shi-Jin says quietly.

Mo-Yeon stays silent and this time, starts playing with her hair.

"You can always talk to me, if you ever feel like it. No seedy comments. I will just listen, I promise," Shi-Jin adds.

"Thank you, Captain."

Shi-Jin releases the breath that he's unconsciously been holding and a small smile steals into his lips. "I'll be taking my leave then. I'll see you at dinner. Myeong Joo and Dae-Young will be there." Shi-Jin lifts himself from the dresser and he's out the door.

Mo-Yeon watched Shi-Jin gracefully make his exit before she goes back to her walk-in closet to get dressed. She hasn't sat down with Myeong-Joo in a while because of all the training she and Shi-Jin has been doing so she hopes it's going to be a nice dinner. She walks alongside the clothes hanging in her closet, the tips of her fingers lightly skimming the hangers. She then starts pulling out dress after dress, pausing for a minute before discarding it on the floor.

Her mind floats back to Yoo Shi-Jin just inches from her face from five days ago as she examines a white coat dress. _I'm sure he's going to tell me I look like my grandma wearing this_ uber _formal dress to dinner,_ she thought, and tosses the dress to the floor. _Not a peplum dress, too, that's too bright for dinner. This lacey dress looks a little racy to me, no, maybe not this one._

Dress after dress gets discarded and the pile behind Mo-Yeon grows before she hears Min-Ji calling from her bedroom. "Min-Ji, in here, please!" She calls out to her.

Min-Ji walks in and tries to conceal her horror at the disarray Mo-Yeon has caused in her closet. "Did you need my help looking for a dress, Your Highness?" She asks hesitatingly.

"Maybe?" Mo-Yeon rests her hands on her hips and looks pleadingly at Min-Ji.

Min-Ji smiles and approaches what's left of Mo-Yeon's closet. Mo-Yeon watches her go through her clothes, pausing every once in a while, before Min-Ji finally fishes out a royal blue pleated dress with a faux double-breasted design. Mo-Yeon holds the dress up and examines it.

"It's unusual for you to take this long in picking your clothes, Your Highness. I wonder if you'd like to go shopping tomorrow?" Min-Ji asks, concern oozing from her voice.

Mo-Yeon laughs nervously, shrugging off Min-Ji's comment. "Just a slow day, that's all. This looks fine to me, Min-Ji, thank you so much."

"I'll start looking for shoes then." Min-Ji chuckles and bows down as she heads towards where the shoes are stacked.

Mo-Yeon absent-mindedly puts on the dress, approaches Min-Ji, and automatically wears the first pair of pumps Min-Ji has pulled from the rack. She was on her way to the door when she doubles back and peers through the door to the walk-in closet. "Would you like to eat dinner with us, Min-Ji?"

"I've finished dinner, Your Highness, thank you," Min-Ji responds, her hands full of dresses she's already going to start sorting out and putting back on the closet.

"I'll be at the dining hall, then. Sorry about the mess!" Mo-Yeon waves at Min-Ji and marches towards the dining hall, just a tad bit restless.

 **xxxxx**

 _It's been a month since Shi-Jin was sent to Great Britain and frankly, he's enjoying the new sights, the new food, and the new people. He's been corresponding frequently with Seo Dae Young and Myeong-Joo—although less frequently with the very busy Myeong-Joo—and has been telling them all about Great Britain._

 _Shi-Jin sat comfortably at his bed as the time on his laptop read 10:05 p.m. He opened his mail and quickly read through Dae Young's new e-mail._

 _ **Sorry it's taken so long for me to get back to you, it's been very busy here at Urk. The Crown Princess is arriving this week and the whole Kingdom is preparing for it. A lot of the guards are very excited too—but don't tell Myeong-Joo I said that. If you're interested I'll send you a photo of the Princess when she arrives but I'm pretty sure you'll be able to see her face all over the news in a few days anyway.**_

 _ **Also, I've been worrying for a couple of days now. Doctor Song Sang-Hyun has been suspiciously frequenting the Queen's chambers. It doesn't look romantic in any way, no, I would have been more at ease if it were like that. But no one has been saying anything, even Myeong-Joo knows nothing—that, or she has been keeping things from me. But don't tell her I told you, maybe it's just been very tiring for Her Majesty with all the preparations for Mo-Yeon's return. But I don't know, man. If you were here, I'm sure you would have figured this out by now.**_

 _ **Hope you can fly back for a couple days.**_

 _Shi-Jin read Dae-Young's e-mail a second time before closing his laptop and setting it back on his bedside table. He tucked his arms under his neck and stretched his legs. It's just been a month but Shi-Jin found his work with the British Royalty surprisingly fulfilling. He has made a couple of new acquaintances, too, to keep his mind from thinking too much about Urk. But as he lay in his bed, he thought that it would have been nice if he was there enjoying all the festivities happening for the Princess' return. It would have been quite interesting to meet her, finally._


	5. Once warm bodies

Chapter 5

The castle has been bustling since last night as preparations for the Urk International Charity Gala has been underway. Five months ago, Mo-Yeon started arranging a charity gala for the benefit of the International Federation (IF), an international organization with a sizable number of member countries, dedicated to helping conflict-stricken countries. The gala that will be held today will be attended by all the key people from Urk, a number of foreign representatives and leaders, and even the Vice Chairman of the International Federation.

Mo-Yeon and Myeong-Joo has been on top of the preparations for the gala for the first months but up until three weeks ago, Myeong-Joo has decided to delegate the task to the capable hands of Pyo Ji-Soo, the events coordinator that has been working on all royal events ever since Mo-Yeon assumed the throne. Mo-Yeon met Pyo Ji-Soo abroad when she was still studying medicine and was surprised to find out that she was an Urk citizen too. Then studying events management and design at a nearby university, Ji-Soo decided to live with Mo-Yeon in the apartment she owned a few blocks from their universities. A couple of months after Mo-Yeon came back to Urk and assumed the crown, Mo-Yeon contacted Ji-Soo to return and practice at Urk.

This morning, Mo-Yeon didn't even need Min-Ji or Shi-Jin to wake her up with all the noise from outside creeping through her windows to bug her. At half past eight, Mo-Yeon gave up trying to ignore all the commotion and started her morning rituals. When Min-Ji came to her room to wake her up, Mo-Yeon was already seated in front of her dresser, combing her hair.

Min-Ji approached Mo-Yeon and continued the task for her. "You're awake early today, Your Highness."

"Couldn't sleep with all the noise. Oh why did I decide to hold the gala at the castle, Min-Ji, tell me?" Mo-Yeon whines, obviously short of a few more hours of sleep.

Min-Ji smiles weakly and finishes combing Mo-Yeon's hair. "The captain, commander, and chief are waiting for you at the dining hall, by the way."

"Alright, thanks Min-Ji. I'll head there by myself."

Min-Ji lifts Mo-Yeon's chair to help her get up and bows as she exit the room. When Mo-Yeon arrives at the dining hall, she notices Shi-Jin absorbed in the morning paper and Myeong-Joo's face already stuffed with food. Dae-Young was sitting beside Shi-Jin but he stands up to greet Mo-Yeon. Mo-Yeon nods at him and heads to her seat between Myeong-Joo and Shi-Jin. "Good morning!"

Myeong-Joo looks up at her for a second, "You're early," she says, and resumes eating. Dae-Young is also getting his fill of the garlic bread and eggs. Shi-Jin's face continues to be hidden behind the paper, the sound of a cup hitting its saucer emanating from inside. Mo-Yeon ignores Shi-Jin just as he was ignoring her and starts on her breakfast. "Myeong-Joo, what time will the Vice President arrive today?"

"I was told he'll be here after lunch. VIPs are such a pain in my ass," Myeong-Joo says coolly, failing to acknowledge the glare she received from Mo-Yeon.

"I'm a VIP, for your information, and I'm such a darling to work with!" Mo-Yeon hears a snort from Shi-Jin and continues to pay no attention him. "Anyway, I wouldn't want to meet him until I absolutely have to. Please tell me you'll keep him company for me, Myeong-Joo?"

"Let him be, Mo-Yeon. He's staying at a hotel an hour from the castle anyway so I'm pretty sure he's no intention of dropping by before the gala tonight," Myeong-Joo replies and Mo-Yeon feels a little more assured.

"That's good. He's not the most pleasant to talk to," Mo-Yeon shudders, remembering the last time she was in a conversation with the Federation's Vice President Han Suk-Won. It was last year's IF conference when he made a rude comment towards the not-so-visually-pleasant president of another country. Mo-Yeon's right hand reached for the garlic bread and let her elbow rest on the table, holding it suspended in midair. She pauses with her lips pursed, reluctantly remembering Chariman Han's face.

Dae-Young is now behind the newspaper with Shi-Jin and Mo-Yeon hears them sharing sneaky snickers. She tries to ignore them but something in her brain is itching to know what they are giggling about. She snaps out of it as she hears Myeong-Joo talking to her.

"Anyway, don't forget to get ready early. We're expecting a lot of people tonight, you know that, and you should be ready to accept the VIPs," says Myeong-Joo. She reaches for the garlic bread, too, and starts devouring it.

Mo-Yeon nods at her. She starts to turn to Shi-Jin to ask if there were other things she's scheduled to attend to for the day when at the very exact moment she turns her head to face him, she catches him leaning forward, in the middle of taking a bite of the garlic bread on her hand. Her face was inches from his and she felt her body unable to move as she watches him tear half of the garlic bread with his teeth and move away from her hand. Myeong-Joo and Dae-Young are watching them silently and offer no comment.

Mo-Yeon lets out the air she's been holding and immediately drops the bread on her plate. She turns her attention to the cup of coffee beside her and clumsily starts to add cubes of sugar to her drink.

"I didn't recall you taking that much sugar in your coffee, Mo-Yeon," Myeong-Joo drones.

Shi-Jin, his chin now rested on his knuckles, watches Mo-Yeon push her coffee and plate away, and wipe her mouth with the napkin on her lap. "I'll be at the ballroom to check on Ji-Soo if you need anything," she says hurriedly and heads for the door.

"I think you should go with her" Dae-Young tries to say this with a poker face.

"I should go with her," Shi-Jin tells Myeong-Joo, dabbing the napkin on his lips, too.

"Yeah, that's what Dae-Young just said," Myeong-Joo gives him a smirk and gets back to her breakfast.

"Yeah, that's what I said!" Shi-Jin scowls at Myeong-Joo and kicks Dae-Young's chair before going after Mo-Yeon.

 **xxxxx**

The main ballroom of the castle of Urk was starting to fill with scattered greetings, conversations, and laughters. Fifty or so round tables were neatly arranged on the ballroom floor, all facing the forty-foot elevated stage at the far side of the ballroom. The biggest business people and government leaders from all of Urk were in attendance, so were a number of names and faces from neighboring and allied countries. And as the line from the castle main doors starts to move into the ballroom, Myeong-Joo starts to get impatient with Mo-Yeon.

Myeong-Joo was stationed at the castle foyer beside the main doors, donning an all-white suit paired with white boots. Talking to Shi-Jin over the radio earpiece, she says quietly but impatiently, "Where is Kang Mo-Yeon? The crowd is starting to build and I need her here in the foyer. Now."

"I'm at the grand staircase now, let me go fetch her from her room." Shi-Jin replies. But before he leaves his spot, he notices Mo-Yeon heading in his direction. It was as if she was gliding towards her in a deep purple gown that skimmed the floor, her upper body encased in a full-lace, high-neck, sleeveless bodice with crystals and sequins. Her hair was tied up in a swept low bun upstyle, and a quaint but glorious golden crown is sitting on top of her head.

Shi-Jin just looked at her, stared at her, as she self-consciously made her way to him. She stops in front of him, her eyes scanning his face for mocking comments. "She's with me now," Shi-Jin radios to Myeong-Joo over the earpiece, his eyes fixed on Mo-Yeon.

"Okay, before you say anything—"

"You look beautiful," Shi-Jin cuts her quietly. "More than usual, that is."

Mo-Yeon rubs the back of her ear, her eyes darting away from Shi-Jin's scrutinizing stare. It was the first time she saw him, too, in a full black suit, neat and polished. "As do you."

Shi-Jin smiles at her. "Commander Yoon has been waiting for you. We should be at the foyer," Shi-Jin says and they make their way to the foyer, Shi-Jin just two steps behind Mo-Yeon. As Mo-Yeon reaches the foyer and approaches Myeong-Joo at the door, Dae-Young takes his place beside Shi-Jin.

Myeong-Joo held a straight face but Mo-Yeon knew she was pissed. "What took you so long?"

Mo-Yeon replies in a quiet voice, "We couldn't find the crown."

"Yes, I can see you're wearing your Princess jewels," Myeong-Joo replies, unable to keep her eyes from rolling. She adds through gritted teeth, "Never mind the crown, we'll look for it later. Good thing the Vice President hasn't arrived yet."

Mo-Yeon nods anxiously. "Okay, I'll be greeting the others. Let Captain Shi-Jin know when the Vice President or other royalty arrive."

Myeong-Joo sighs and Mo-Yeon makes her way to the center of the foyer. Guests start to approach her, greeting or engaging her in polite conversations. A curtsy, a few words, and then another batch comes up to her. A few men reach for her hand and kisses her knuckles, and Dae-Young notices Shi-Jin shifting his weight restlessly from one leg to the other. Shi-Jin keeps his guard up and surveys the surroundings, but couldn't help but let his gaze wander back to Mo-Yeon. Dae-Young catches him sneaking long looks at the Queen.

"Don't I look nice today?" Dae-Young teases Shi-Jin, adjusting his tie. His voice is just enough for the two of them to hear.

Shi-Jin's eyes stay on Mo-Yeon and sighs a small smirk. "Breathtaking."

After two couples from the retail industry exchange pleasantries with Mo-Yeon, General Argus from the Ninth State of Ahop approaches her. He was wearing his own perfectly ironed suit, ready to brush shoulders with some of the biggest guests of the night. Mo-Yeon smiles to see him approach, greeting him with a slight curtsy. Argus replies with a low bow and kisses the back of Mo-Yeon's hand.

"You look terribly majestic, Your Highness," Argus says, his lips just still inches away from Mo-Yeon's hand.

"Thank you, General Argus. You'll be very pleased to know that Chairman Han is coming. I heard you're quite friendly," Mo-Yeon replies, slipping her hand from Argus.

Argus straightens and pretends to fix his cufflinks. He nods at Shi-Jin and Dae-Young just behind Mo-Yeon and they return his gesture. His eyes dart back to Mo-Yeon, which she thought gleamed in the light. "Ah, yes, the Vice President. Very good news indeed. Although from what I have heard, my Queen is not as taken with the Vice President as I."

Mo-Yeon lets out a sigh and beckons Argus a little closer. "As my General, I trust you won't let this piece of information—its certainty unconfirmed—reach the Vice President's ears," she says almost in a hush, her eyes scanning the room for Chairman Han.

"Of course. I have no other intention but to gain my Queen's favor," Argus nods, his smile something in between a mysterious smirk and a proud grin. "I shall see you inside in a moment, then, Your Highness."

Mo-Yeon nods at him as he takes another bow before making his way into the ballroom. For a moment, Mo-Yeon's eyes followed Argus into the ballroom that when she came to, she realized Chairman Han was already standing in front of her. Startled, she goes into a slightly more awkward curtsy as he does the same. She eyes Shi-Jin, trying to reprimand him with non-verbal cues for not giving her the heads up on the Vice President's arrival.

"Such an honor to have you here tonight, Vice President," Mo-Yeon says, mustering all the sweetness and softness she can fake in her voice.

"Indeed it is," Chairman Han replies, running a hand through his hair. Chairman Han is actually quite handsome for a man, his complexion as fair as most women—although he looks more like he is always up to something very nasty than angelic. If Mo-Yeon hated him because he feels terribly comfortable and proud of his looks and position, she hates it more because his overconfidence actually has some merit to it. "Your gala's not half bad, too, Your Highness, you've got quite a team."

"I have arranged a lot of it myself, Vice President. I'm very glad everything suits your fancy," Mo-Yeon smiles at him, barely.

"Oh, I wouldn't go as far as saying "everything," but overall, it's rather charming," He snaps back in that misleading silky smooth voice of his, something Mo-Yeon finds too sweet it can give you a stomachache if exposed to large quantities. Mo-Yeon counts to ten in her head before mustering the courage to come up with a reply.

"Well not everything's tailored to fit your preferences, Chairman Han, so please extend me a bit of consideration as I have a lot of guests to please tonight," Mo-Yeon replies and makes the move to end their conversation and step away from him.

Chairman Han, however, grabs Mo-Yeon by the wrist as she was about to leave. Shi-Jin and Dae-Young were quick to their reflexes before Mo-Yeon signals them to stand down. "This is a very lovely night, Your Highness, and I would very much enjoy it later with your company. Please tell me you'll consider sharing a few glasses with me?" he cocks his head slightly, Mo-Yeon's wrist still firmly enclosed in his hand.

Shi-Jin musters all his strength to stop himself from pulling the man forcibly from Mo-Yeon and focuses on Mo-Yeon's rather calm demeanor. If she was boiling inside, boy, was she hiding it very, very well.

"I'm afraid I would have to pass on your most gracious offer. It's just that this aging lady prefers clinking cups to toasting goblets," Mo-Yeon says, almost through gritted teeth. "Excuse me," she adds, and yanks her hand from him. She offers a nod and hurries to increase her distance from him.

The Vice President watches her scramble to get away from him, her two bodyguards on her side, and keeps his dissatisfaction to himself as he walks towards the ballroom.

 **xxxxx**

"My Lords and Ladies, honorable leaders, women and gentlemen. My people and government humbly extend our welcome to you to the Kingdom of Urk. For years we have been a small albeit prosperous and peaceful nation, all because of the guidance and support of our constituents and allied countries. If the late Queen Her Majesty Ah-In, my mother, would have been blessed to witness this day, her heart would have been filled with immense jubilation and pride looking at how far this country has come. You have helped build and keep the foundation of peace where this Kingdom stands and I am truly grateful for that.

"But despite the bounty of peace and prosper the Kingdom of Urk and its people have enjoyed, still, many countries in proximity to our borders continue to experience unrest; unrest that has been brought by naturally occurring calamities, economic distress, political instability, and most devastatingly, man-made conflicts. How can my nation, how can I, bask in the blessedness of our lands if only at our doorsteps lay children growing without their parents, homes destroyed and ruined to mere shelters, people working not to feed themselves but their despots, and lands rich not with vegetation but of gunpowder and soot?

"The International Federation has brought our countries and people closer to each other and through the organization that we all endeavored to build, we are able to support each other through abundance and crisis. My kingdom, alone, has sent twenty battalions to the International Federation, to lend a hand to ill nations. Member countries have all extended a hand in monetary and military kind throughout the years, and thus we have been able to bring, just recently, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea back on their feet.

"Tonight, as we toast our glasses to the myriad triumphs and assistance the Federation has accomplished on our behalf, let us keep in our sentiments and thoughts those we have helped hack another chance at a better home, a better life, and a better self. Let us extend, once more, and never ceasing, our comfort to those who aspire for a better tomorrow. That with every child we feed, every home we rebuild, every country we offer ourselves to, we are infinitely more blessed. Please enjoy this good evening."

The crowd goes into applause as Mo-Yeon finishes her opening remarks and steps down from her podium to take her seat in the table set up just below the stage. Shi-Jin's eyes follow Mo-Yeon until she finally plopped down beside him, a deep sigh escaping her lips. Behind him, he hears but vaguely what the emcee starts saying and who he starts introducing.

Mo-Yeon looks to him for assurance and he nods at her. "Not half bad," Shi-Jin grins at her.

Mo-Yeon pouts and hits him slightly on the arm despite herself. "Sheesh, you just couldn't give me this one?"

Shi-Jin props on arm on the table and rests his chin on closed knuckles. He is looking straight on Mo-Yeon, saying nothing for a while.

"What, is there something on my face?" Mo-Yeon points at her face.

"Yes," Shi-Jin replies, still looking seriously at Mo-Yeon. "Something beautiful. Like how you handled your speech."

Mo-Yeon smiles back at him in relief and focuses her attention back to the stage.

Shi-Jin almost did not notice what went on the stage as he kept his attention on Mo-Yeon and the nearby tables throughout the night. Dae-Young and his team were stationed equally throughout the ballroom anyway so surveying the adjacent tables was enough work for one man. Two, three, and a few more entertainers and musicians were called to the stage while dinner was served to the guests. Every now and then, someone would approach their table and sit beside Mo-Yeon, talking about what she thinks of this new ruling they are implementing in their country, or this new trend that's starting to catch on in that industry. Shi-Jin made sure to watch everyone brought by Dae-Young to the table, where their hands go and where their eyes darted to. Every flinch, every little movement, he took note of. He couldn't just let one quick sleight of hand fool and mislead him when Mo-Yeon's security is priority.

After dessert, more people were on their feet, visiting acquaintances or making new ones at another table. Mo-Yeon, too, started doing her rounds, visiting people she wasn't able to greet throughout the night. Shi-Jin and Dae-Young stayed close to her as she hopped from table to table. Shi-Jin noted that while Mo-Yeon was obviously going for tables where Chairman Han couldn't be seen, he hasn't seen his shadow since the quartet started playing on stage. _Good riddance, then,_ he thought to himself.

A large beefy man has now taken the stage, ready to belt out a Pavarotti, when the whole ballroom was shaken by a man running breathlessly into the ballroom, crying out with every breath he could muster, "Help! The Vice President! The Vice President is dead!"

 **xxxxx**

 _Shi-Jin knew that it's been roughly a month since the Crown Princess has arrived in Urk so Dae-Young and Myeong-Joo are even infinitely more busy, what with all the commotion she has stirred in the castle. In Dae-Young's last e-mail, which he sent last week, he told him that Mo-Yeon has announced that contrary to what has been originally planned, she's extending her stay in Urk for an indefinite period. Dae-Young has been very suspicious why Mo-Yeon decided to stay but he writes that Myeong-Joo still has not told him anything._

 _Shi-Jin was starting to become very comfortable in Great Britain, too, and has been accompanying the royal family in various appearances throughout the country. He's also heard from a royal guard that a cousin of the royal family has taken a liking to him. Apparently, during that cousin's visit last week, he made quite an impression so she's refusing to leave Great Britain in the meantime. She has not, anyhow, made any advances or any inappropriate actions towards Shi-Jin so he's not really going out of his way to avoid her, too. While she's pretty pleasant to the eyes, it's just that there's nothing else that attracted Shi-Jin to this woman. And he certainly did not want to cause any discomfort or inappropriateness in the family he's currently assigned to, so he's still very cautious as to how he acted around her so as not to lead her on._

 _Shi-Jin was currently on break and was watching a local cable show on how beer is made when a breaking news report interrupted the program. A female British anchor was delivering the news._

 _ **World breaking news: Al Qaeda and Algerian soldiers clash in the eastern Al Qaeda stronghold in the Greater Maghreb, and take the lives of 120 Algerian soldiers. Some 530 soldiers are wounded from the conflict. Two soldiers known to be from the Kingdom of Urk were also included in the mortal casualty and they have been identified to be former Urk Royal Armed Forces Commander-in-chief Yoon and former Third State of Set General Suh. We have yet to receive a statement from the Algerian government and the Queen of Urk regarding the casualties.**_

 _The breaking news segment ended with the faces of Commander Yoon and General Suh, and Shi-Jin fell helplessly back on his seat. His felt his hands turn cold and clammy, and all blood has gone from his face. Regaining his composure, but not completely, he quickly fished his phone from his pocket and dialed a long distance call to Commander Yoon Myeong-Joo._


	6. Toughness and tears

Chapter 6

General Argus offers Mo-Yeon a final bow before making his way into the ballroom. The night is young and the charity gala is just about to start so he thought he would refresh himself with a few glasses of red before tonight's big event. _Might be a while before another grand gala could happen after tonight; might as well enjoy it,_ he thought.

After a few more rounds of red wine and a couple of his and hellos to familiar heads of countries, Mo-Yeon takes the stage to deliver her opening remarks. Standing at the back of the ballroom, Argus quietly slips out of the door and hangs around the hallway. A few moments later, the ballroom door opens and the Vice President emerges. Argus looks up at him and approaches him casually. "Hello, old friend."

"Argus," Chairman Han nods at him and they shake hands, grips as firm as steel. "It's nice to see you tonight. How's your old swing?"

Argus clicks his tongue and shakes his head. He takes his place beside Chairman Han and matches his slow strides. "I see you remember quite well your last victory against me. I have improved tons, Chairman Han, it'll be a shame if we can't hit the golf course before you go back home."

The Vice President drops a hearty laugh. "I'm pretty sure I can as easily beat your ass, Argus! But as much as I hate to walk away from a match I surely would have won, I couldn't stay long here in Urk. There are pressing matters the IF needs their best man to attend to so I must hurry back first thing tomorrow."

"Oh how will we manage without you, Chairman?" Argus says sarcastically, which earns him another laugh from Chairman Han.

"As much as you're treasured around here, Argus," he winks.

"Ah, well, I'm just a humble general here in the Kingdom of Urk," Argus shakes his head, feigning humility.

Chairman Han claps Argus on the back. It seems they have reached their destination and so they go to a halt in front of the men's comfort room. He leans closer to Argus, his voice deeper and barely audible. "I've been hearing things, my dear friend. Dark, fishy things little birds whisper in my ear. I will not want to sully my good self with these fishy little businesses I've been hearing about but I will not want to stay silent, either, if a more rewarding endeavor presents itself."

Argus sneers at him and leans back into the wall, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets. "You need not to worry about these fishy little rumors, my good sir, as they are rumors until proven true."

"You sound very defensive, Argus, don't you?"

Argus shrugs and turns his back on Chairman Han, ready to go back to the ballroom. "Seriously, Chairman. You need not to worry anymore," he says before taking his leave, sporting a dark sneer hidden from Chairman Han's view. Chairman Han watches Argus for a moment and as if he's just realizing the conversation is done, he shrugs and lets himself into the men's comfort room. Just a couple of seconds after he locks himself in the comfort room to take care of his needs, a man in a black suit unlocks the door and lets himself in. Not half a minute later, the same guy leaves the comfort room and heads to the opposite direction of the ballroom, not a soul witnessing the quick charade.

 **xxxxx**

"Help! The Vice President! The Vice President is dead!"

Mo-Yeon's head snaps to the direction of the voice, her head swimming with confusion. Not able to process the man's voice, she felt Shi-Jin and Dae-Young already dragging him to a secret door behind the stage, which leads to the hallway back to her room. Before Dae-Young opens the door, she notices Shi-Jin's strong grasp on her wrist and she forcibly shakes her hand free. Shi-Jin looks at her, confused.

"The Vice President—"

Shi-Jin sighs and both his hands fly to her shoulders. Mo-Yeon can feel that although his hands are firm, they, too, are warm, trying to be comforting and assuring. "We need to relocate you to a safe place," He says.

They lock eyes for a few seconds before she shakes her head, her lips pursed. "I'll check on him. I want to see for my own eyes."

"It's too dangerous." Shi-Jin says, dismissing her determination.

"I don't answer to you, Captain Yoo Shi-Jin. I am your Queen and you answer to me," Mo-Yeon says, her voice a little angrier now.

Mo-Yeon and Shi-Jin lock eyes, angry, heaving heavily. Dae-Young hears Myeong-Joo on the radio, asking for the whereabouts of Mo-Yeon and sternly giving instructions to keep her locked and guarded in her room. Dae-Young watches the staring contest in front of him and tries to decide whether to answer Myeong-Joo or wait for Shi-Jin and Mo-Yeon to come to a consensus. Myeong-Joo's voice is now rising, impatient that no one is replying to her radios.

Shi-Jin puts a hand on his radio earpiece, talking with his eyes still locked on Mo-Yeon's. "Big Boss to Command. I need additional backup. Ten royal guards at the back of the stage. Now."

Dae-Young hears that Myeong-Joo is now terribly angry over the radio. "I repeat, Angel to Big Boss. Secure the Queen. I'm sending the guards over there now to secure the Queen. Respond if you copy. Over."

Shi-Jin shakes his head, tongue in cheek. Dae-Young sees him turn off his earpiece. "You do know that Myeong-Joo will have our heads for this."

"She has more things to think about, what with hundreds of guests to move out of here." Mo-Yeon says, trying hard not to think about how angry Myeong-Joo will be with her later. It's almost as if she can hear Myeong-Joo shouting and cursing on Shi-Jin's and Dae-Young's earpieces.

Ten guards in the same black suit arrive and Shi-Jin turns to face them. Mo-Yeon looks at their faces, only really recognizing half of them.

"On the Queen's orders, we will escort her to the crime scene. Chief Seo Dae-Young and I will cover her from the front and the back. All of you circle us as we make our way to the comfort room," Shi-Jin briefs the men, all of them carrying heavy rifles. He looks at them in the eye, one-by-one, as he gives his instructions. "No one is to penetrate the circle. No generals, no presidents, no other member from the armed forces. I repeat, no one is to penetrate the circle apart from the Commander-in-chief."

"Yes, sir!" The men all shout in unison, stomping their left foot in attention and then easing back.

"Okay, let's go."

Shi-Jin has his hand gun out now and takes his position in front of Mo-Yeon while Dae-Young flanks her from behind. Shi-Jin and holds his guns close to his chest, while Dae-Young checks his inner coat pockets to reload his gun. The ten men make a circle surrounding the three and they start make their way away from the stage.

The formation marches cautiously across the ballroom and Mo-Yeon notices that the ballroom is almost empty now. All the guests must have hurried out after hearing the terrible news. As they pass the door from the ballroom into the hallway, Mo-Yeon sees her guests still trying to flee the scene. The number of guards keeping watch on the hallway has now tripled in number, all of them carrying rifles and hand guns. Mo-Yeon's head snaps around, trying to locate a familiar face in the remaining crowd. She puts a hand on her heart, which is now beating so heavily she thought the guards surrounding her might be hearing it. She thought that if she did deep breaths and tried to rub her chest, her heart might calm down a little—but it didn't.

They keep their pace towards the comfort room and Mo-Yeon knows they're almost there when she sees an even bigger mob of police and guards crowding the wall. As they come to a stop, Mo-Yeon sees a number of guards wearing the IF logo on their collars standing by the door.

"Let's go." Shi-Jin waves a hand to signal the rest of the guards to stand down and he makes a path for Mo-Yeon to approach the door. He exchanges a few words with the guards at the door and beckon to Mo-Yeon. They let them go through. Dae-Young follows the two and continues to cover Mo-Yeon's back.

As they go through the door, Shi-Jin side steps to give Mo-Yeon a full view of the man sprawled on the floor. Vice President Han Suk-Won is lying on the floor, his left ear pasted to the floor, his body swimming in his own blood. A bullet-sized hole could be clearly seen behind his right ear. Mo-Yeon just looks at Chairman Han, unable to move after taking one step closer to him, unconsciously holding her breath. Her head is swimming in confusion. _Why? Who did this? Why will they do this to him? Why here? Why tonight?_ These simple questions ricocheting like bullets inside her head. She is just standing, not moving an inch, hands trembling and fidgeting uncomfortably beside her. Her heart is racing even more so than before, and maybe even faster and more desperate than after an hour of slightly intense training with Shi-Jin. She is a doctor—well almost a doctor—and she is supposed to be used to seeing wounds and blood and dead bodies even. But looking at Chairman Han, how violently he is sprawled on the floor, how it all happened without him having a chance to get saved, she felt cold, frozen, and didn't even notice that she is crying if she didn't feel a warm hand wipe her wet cheeks.

Shi-Jin watches Mo-Yeon go into a shock as she zeroes in on Chairman Han's body on the floor. Two streams of tears flow from her eyes and he slowly reaches one hand to wipe the wetness from her face. Shi-Jin now hears a breath get caught in Mo-Yeon's throat, and her shoulders start shaking. Shi-Jin takes one step forward and pulls Mo-Yeon towards him, the one hand at the back of her head now, letting her cry on his shoulder. He starts to lift his other hand to pat her back but hesitates, and lets it hang beside him. "You've been very brave, that's enough, Doctor Kang."

Mo-Yeon feels her body getting racked with sobs, her shoulders shaking, her breaths skipping. More than the Vice President, she knows she is crying for herself, for her kingdom, for what this catastrophe will mean for monarchy—and she knows how selfish it all sounds in her head, so she cries even more as admonishment for her selfishness.

Shi-Jin feels Mo-Yeon nod weakly, submitting, but still crying. She lifts her head and their eyes meet, hers with tears still steadily flowing. This is the same proud woman who stood at the stage and addressed her kingdom earlier in the night. This is the same obstinate woman who wouldn't yield to his teasing and the training. It is heartbreaking seeing her in such a mess.

He unbuttons his coat and takes it off, and wraps it around the still shaking Mo-Yeon. "We'll take you back to your room now."

Mo-Yeon wipes her nose with the back of her hand like a child and turns back to Chairman Han's body. She slowly approaches him, the hem of her gown getting drenched in the pool of blood that surrounded him. She circles to his other side, now facing Shi-Jin and the other guards, and crouches down. She stares at Chairman Han's face, half of it visible from this side. She thought about his inappropriate comment earlier and regretted saying "go to hell" on her mind. She thought about seeing him last year and the thoughtful gift he send earlier this year, remembering her birthday. _No one deserves to go like this,_ she thought. If only someone saw him earlier, if only he didn't go the comfort room unescorted, or if only he didn't go to Urk at all, he won't be lying on the floor like this. She reaches out a hand and closes his eyes. Still on her knees, her hand bloody from reaching out to Chairman Han, she looks up at Shi-Jin.

"Captain Yoo Shi Jin, please call the press."

 **xxxxx**

Myeong-Joo is running towards the small conference room, a handful of police forces behind her. Dae-Young just radioed in to her that Mo-Yeon is calling a press conference and Shi-Jin has yielded to her demand in a heartbeat. She's fuming and makes no effort to hide it anymore, kicking the door to the small conference room open as she arrives.

More than a handful of reporters and photographers are already seated, minutes after the press conference call has been issued. Apparently, a majority of the TV stations, newspapers, and online outfits were already in standby outside the castle even before the gala started, waiting to ambush an official or a businessman, and get a quote to supplement the news on tonight's gala. Not even a bit did they expect that they will be catching on tape tonight an even bigger and more explosive message straight from the Queen of Urk.

Eyes spring to Myeong-Joo as she enters the room dramatically and heads straight to the holding room beside the podium, which is set in the elevated platform at the end of the room. Myeong-Joo slams the door open and her eyes immediately find Mo-Yeon, seated in an armchair, already dressed in a black suit dress.

"What the hell are you thinking, Kang Mo-Yeon!" Myeong-Joo marches in front of Mo-Yeon, her hand flying to the arms of the Mo-yeon's chair. Mo-Yeon looks up to meet Myeong-Joo's angry eyes. Her eyes dart to Myeong-Joo's hands for a moment, noticing they are shaking as well.

"I have to make this announcement before someone else does. There were hundreds of people in that ballroom, Myeong-Joo. Someone's bound to talk as soon as they leave the castle doors," Mo-Yeon explains, her voice a little too desperate and pleading. Her eyes are still red and swollen from all the crying and Myeong-Joo scoffs at her face. "I know this is going to mean very bad for our kingdom but there's nothing we can do now, is there? And frankly, I would prefer some support right now rather than scolding because I'm not even sure I can do a proper speech out there without bursting into tears."

Myeong-Joo hears her voice break a little and straightens up, letting go of the chair. She steps back, still shaking in anger. She raises a boot and kicks the coffee table beside her with all the strength she can muster, and lets out a deep breath. The table crashes into another armchair, similar to Mo-Yeon's, and the armchair gets pushed a few feet from where it stood. She is not angry at Mo-Yeon for calling the press, nor is she angry at Shi-Jin and Seo Dae-Young for not listening to her orders. But she is so very angry, every bit of it pulsating through her body. She feels a hand land on her shoulder.

"She'll be fine, Myeong-Joo," Shi-Jin says, stepping in beside her. He adds, too quietly, in a tone the distracted Mo-Yeon won't be able to register, "Tonight is tougher on her than anyone."

Myeong-Joo stays still for a while, her anger now dissipating into an emotionless ball, before falling into her knees in front of Mo-Yeon in an apologetic bow. Mo-Yeon is caught by surprise, falling on her own knees in front of Myeong-Joo. Her hands touch Myeong-Joo's, her eyes scanning her poker face for some explanation of her sudden change of actions.

Myeong-Joo looks Mo-Yeon straight in the eyes for a moment, just staring, no emotions, then lowers her eyes to the floor. "In behalf of the entire Royal Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Urk, I, Commander Yoon Myeong-Joo, humbly ask for Your Highness' forgiveness for tonight, our incompetence and shortcomings have tainted your crown with blood. I have nothing to justify our ineffectiveness but I take all responsibility over this incident. I swear I will do everything in my power to resolve this."

Shi-Jin, Dae-Young, and two other royal guards in the room fall as well on their knees. In truth, Myeong-Joo is most aggravated with her own self, only projecting the anger and the frustration on everyone around her. She was supposed to be on top of security tonight but the Vice President, no matter how evil and infuriating he is, died on her watch. She has no one else to blame and get angry at but herself.

Mo-Yeon shakes her head and wraps her hands tightly—as tight as her shaking hands could let her, at the moment—around Myeong-Joo. "This is all of us, Myeong-Joo," she says quietly, and lets go. She stands up and brushes the imaginary dust off her dress. "Right now, let me do my job."

Myeong-Joo is still kneeling on the floor when Mo-Yeon exits the holding room, Shi-Jin behind her. Dae-Young approaches Myeong-Joo and helps her get back on her feet. "Let's go, she'll need us out there."

When Dae-Young and Myeong-Joo re-enters the conference room, a dozen of photographers are already clicking on their cameras, all focused on Mo-Yeon taking her place behind the podium. Almost all the chairs are already occupied by reporters of all nationalities, laptops on laps and notepads on hand.

Mo-Yeon looks at Myeong-Joo and Dae-Young across the room, and then at Shi-Jin standing just a step behind her. She lets out a deep sigh and starts to address the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press, please allow me to spare you the salutations and head straight to the reason for this sudden press conference. Tonight's charity gala has closed to a most unfortunate incident. With deepest sorrow and regret, I bring the news that Chairman Han Suk-Won, Vice President of the International Federation, was assassinated at tonight's event. As of the moment, we are still conducting investigations to further understand the entirety of the situation and identify the cause of his untimely demise.

"I have arranged for tonight's gala with the intention to help ill countries, and prevent more losses, mortal and emotional. So it strikes me with great grief that such an event is turned into an opportunity to strike down one of the most brilliant and assiduous men I have ever had the honor to work with.

"As Queen of the Kingdom of Urk, I can personally vouch for the level of security my people have arranged for tonight's event. The safety of everyone attending the gala has been paramount but despite the extreme protection measures we have taken, our security has been breached. We will not rest until this case is solved and until the perpetrator has been brought to justice.

"I extend my personal and sincerest condolences towards the bereaved of Chairman Han Suk-Won, and to the International Federation who has lost its great leader."

Mo-Yeon finishes her speech without a hitch and slowly makes her way off the platform. The photographers and the reporters fly out of their seats to try and ask their questions but Shi-Jin and the royal guards have already shielded Mo-Yeon, letting her walk safely back to the holding room.

Myeong-Joo watches the reporters try to get their hands on Mo-Yeon and turns her head away in annoyance and embarrassment. Dae-Young watches her as she turns her back and exits through the conference room door, knowing that it's best to just let her be for now.

 **xxxxx**

 _The ceremony held for former Urk Royal Armed Forces Commander-in-chief Yoon and former Third State of Set General Suh was small and solemn, as requested by Myeong-Joo. Queen Ah-In would have wanted the full martyr's tribute but Myeong-Joo insisted that her father would not care for such elaborate ceremonies and frivolities. But Queen Ah-In understood what kind of man Yellow Tiger was, him having worked for her as the Crown's Commander-in-chief for more than two decades. So she grants Myeong-Joo's request and they give him a small ceremony, held in secret, at the Crown of Heroes Cemetery. The Crown of Heroes Cemetery was where all deceased members of the royal family and the most notable members of the kingdom who have died in service to the country were buried._

 _The burial ceremony was short and simple, with only a handful of Yoon and Suh family members, their closest military friends, Shi-Jin's father Yoo Sung-Jin, and Queen Ah-In in attendance. Queen Ah-In awarded both with the highest honor the Crown can bestow on an Urk citizen, which was the Most Noble Ommelmoerstien Cross of Urk. Vaguely similar to the UK's Victoria Cross, the Most Noble Ommelmoerstien Cross of Urk has only been bestowed by the reigning sovereign to 15 Urk citizens since it was established after the First World War in 1918._

 _Myeong-Joo stood motionlessly beside Dae-Young as they lowered her father's casket into the ground. While there was no more room for remorse in Myeong-Joo's heart, with all of the space occupied by memories of and grief for his father, she can't help but feel disappointed by the absence of Shi-Jin._

 _Shi-Jin was not allowed by his father to go back to the Kingdom for the burial despite his insistence, since the royal family he was serving at the moment was undergoing some civil unrest of their own. Although Queen Ah-In would have let him come home, it was Yoo Sung-Jin who instructed Shi-Jin to stay. Furious, like the mature son that Shi-Jin is, he then refused to return his father's calls and e-mails. That order, he will come to realize, was the last time they will be in contact before Sung-Jin's short call in August to inform his son that he was getting deployed to Ingushetia in Russia—that call also turned out to be his last._


	7. Concocting conspiracies

Chapter 7

As soon as the door closed on the reporters, Mo-Yeon falls on the floor, unable to gather any more energy. Shi-Jin falls on one knee in front of her and rests his right arm across the other. Mo-Yeon sighs and lets her head hang loose.

"Myeong-Joo and I will call a meeting with the generals and the chiefs of state police tonight. You should rest, we can brief you in the morning," Shi-Jin says.

Mo-Yeon shakes her head. "No, I'll be there. No matter what Myeong-Joo says, I'll stay on top of this, too. It's my responsibility, too. Things will be very tough, Yoo Shi Jin, I know. This is why it's only going to be easier if you let me help you. You all think I need babysitting that's why I never really accomplish anything." Mo-Yeon bites her lower lip, a habit Shi-Jin notices she has when she's uncertain or at a thought crossroads.

Shi-Jin lets a small smile tug on his lips and stands up. He offers his right hand to help Mo-Yeon get back on her feet. "I guess we've been trying to protect you too much. From now on, I'll be very strict with you and will let you handle all the toughies, no matter how much you whine. Then again, scratch that, you can't whine at all because you have to be a big girl now."

Mo-Yeon, as well, lets the smile settle on her face. No matter how bleak it's looking for Urk right now, she thought it's always going to be a teeny bit less taxing to have Shi-Jin's good humor to keep her company. She grabs the hand Shi-Jin is offering and helps herself up from the floor. "Call the meeting now; we have a lot to discuss."

A few calls were made and just a little over an hour later, the huge conference room is already packed with bustling men and a handful of women in uniforms. This is the first time Mo-Yeon is back in the general conference room after that fateful day when Myeong-Joo forced Shi-Jin into their lives. And if Mo-Yeon is to rank the lessons and realizations she has come to since that day, the first two things on her list are: one, that disaster always strikes when you least expect it; and two, that you will always find there's someone or something that's just been there all along to get you through every disaster.

Everyone has already been briefed about the situation at hand, courtesy of Lieutenant Kim Gi-Bum. New information has also surfaced that a shell casing was discovered in the crime scene, belonging to a gun that has been issued in the Kingdom of Urk. Although that seems like a terrible bit of information, the Kingdom of Urk shares ammunition with the International Federation and other allied countries in the European Union and United Kingdom. And with a number of these countries in attendance in the gala, the shell casing could only limit the suspect countries to at least 30.

The CCTV footage at the time of the crime, plus minus some four hours, which is obtained from a CCTV camera facing the door to the men's bathroom, has also been retrieved. The footage only shows the cleaner at four, entering and exiting the said lavatory; five more men, all were seen coming out of the lavatory, as well, before the gala started; and General Argus accompanying Chairman Han to the comfort room. No one else could be seen approaching the bathroom door after Chairman Han enters. The last person seen in the footage is the Urk businessman who opens the door but immediately flees in terror as soon as he, presumably, sees the dead body.

The body of Chairman Han, at the moment of the meeting, is still being processed by the lab, to determine if there are any fingerprints, DNA material, or signs of struggle.

After the report has been delivered by Lieutenant Kim, the generals and the police chiefs all launch into a chaotic semblance of a deliberation, engaging in their own micro-discussions on their part of the table. Myeong-Joo, then calls everyone's attention, saying that she will give them ten minutes to discuss among themselves, per state, their thoughts, suggestions, and course of actions regarding the matter. After the ten minutes, each general will present their conclusions to the table, uninterrupted by any other party in the room. Myeong-Joo, Mo-Yeon, and Shi-Jin, will then deliberate which sentiments are worth exploring, and the table will proceed to discuss these in detail.

After an extremely wearing hour of ideas and suggestions, Mo-Yeon, Myeong-Joo, and Shi-Jin has come to a consensus to hear out more from General Choi Woo-Geun of the First State of Hana, General Argus of the Ninth State of Ahop, and General Im Gwang-Nam of the Third State of Set.

General Choi Woo-Geun, known to his comrades by his call sign Snoopy, stands up and takes the floor. "It is a matter of urgency that we must first discuss the consequences of Chairman Han's death in Urk, and what we can do to address these consequences. As I have said earlier, Chairman Han's death will surely plunge Urk into an international controversy as his security was placed in our jurisdiction the moment he set foot in Urk. The Kingdom's capacity to protect its borders, its royalty, and its VIPs will be questioned, putting in danger our relationship with allied countries. How can they trust a country to help them in times of danger and civil unrest when that country could not even protect itself?"

Argus then raises his pen, and General Choi gives him the permission to speak. "We know, as members of the Royal Armed Forces, that the security measures we have set up in Urk are top-notch. However, because of recent events, our allies will be doubting our methods and equipment. This is why I believe, it is in the best interest of rebuilding this trust, to upgrade and increase the production of artillery, ammunition, and security equipment. This way, we could prove to our allies that we are taking extreme measures to secure our position and not let a same catastrophe happen."

A wave of agreement washes over the table, convincing even Myeong-Joo and Shi-Jin. Woo-Geun then, continues, "I agree with General Argus. But I also have to suggest that while the Army, under Commander Yoon, of course, should oversee this task, I believe our Queen Her Royal Highness, should start with the relations rehabilitations effort. Paying courtesy calls to our allied countries, to assure them that we are strengthening our forces, will surely prove vital to repairing any cracks in the allied relations, or maybe even prevent one from happening."

Shi-Jin looks to Mo-Yeon for an answer and she is quick to respond, "I agree with you, General Choi. Captain Yoo will assemble a team comprised of my Royal Guards immediately and devise a strategic schedule that will allow us to visit the most number of allied countries in the least amount of time."

"That's settled then," Myeong-Joo joins in. "We are settling that this is our best course of action and will now proceed to the two leads that have been raised by General Argus and General Park. General Argus, if you may start?"

General Argus, fumbling with the cufflinks on the dress suit he attended the gala in, starts by thanking the Queen for hearing out his policies. "Going straight, then, to the matter at hand, since Urk will be taking the lead in the investigation of Chairman Han's murder, I believe we should start by exploring countries with economic, political, and even personal grudges against the IF and Chairman Han. We have all seen the news, I presume, and Denmark has been very aggressive against IF in the recent years. In fact, I have been privy to some information that their Prime Minister, The Honorable Daniel Spencer, has just recently launched a series of investigations against the IF, and against Chairman Han, specifically. As you know, Chairman Han has been an old friend of mine, and we shared some golfing afternoons. To confirm the legitimacy of my intel, I would like to reiterate that this information came straight from him."

Mo-Yeon is quick to slam one hand on the table, drawing the attention of the crowd to her. "I can't believe you're accusing Daniel, General Argus? I'm sorry but I don't think there's a need to follow this lead specifically. Yes, I agree, we should invest resources into tracking countries with grudges against the late Chairman, but I assure you there is no way Daniel is on top of this!"

General Im Gwang-Nam then clears his throat, "Your Highness, please let me be rude for a second, but I believe we should follow up on General Argus' lead."

Mo-Yeon looks unbelievably at him. Gwang-Nam is one of the younger Generals, only assigned after General Suh's death in 2008. Gwang-Nam and Daniel have spent considerable time together during Daniel's visits to Urk, even when Mo-Yeon was abroad for her studies. In fact, Daniel was even the person who gave him his call sign, Piccolo, after saying he looked so much like the said Dragon Ball character.

"General Im, I can't believe you, too, are doubting Daniel's innocence!" Mo-Yeon exclaims at him.

Argus then shakes his head and clears his throat to attract Mo-Yeon's attention. Mo-Yeon glares at him and he continues in a softer tone, "I do not wish to offend you, Your Highness, please believe me when I say I don't. But it is one of the best ones we have so far. We will, of course, still deploy investigators to other suspect countries but I think the earlier we probe into Denmark, the earlier we can prove that Mr. Daniel is innocent, if what you're saying is true."

Mo-Yeon bites her lower lip in frustration, knowing that everyone is seeing Argus has a point. All of this distrust and suspicion towards Daniel is throwing her off, especially since Daniel is the closest person she can call her best friend.

"Your Highness," Myeong-Joo interrupts Mo-Yeon's train of thought, which is dangerously sidetracking towards her memories with Daniel in the middle of a meeting. "I think Captain Yoo can arrange a schedule which lets you visit Denmark first on your relations rehabilitations effort. That way, the investigation team would be at your disposal during your visit to Mr. Daniel and Queen Kim Eun-Ji in Denmark."

Mo-Yeon considers this for a moment. _Seems like the Generals could not be swayed to redirect their attention away from Denmak anymore, even though Daniel is, of course, innocent. I don't know that evil Queen of his though, but certainly not Daniel. If I were there, I could just ask him straight, that would clear things up in a jiffy!_ She thought. She then proceeds to address Argus, although grudgingly. "Okay, fine. I am giving the permission to pursue your lead, General Argus. Do you have more to add?"

General Argus smiles and nods, satisfied. "Thank you, Your Highness. No, I have nothing else to add. We can proceed with General Im's lead."

Mo-Yeon crosses her hand in front of her chest, still quite unhappy from the turn of the meeting.

"General Im, then, please," Myeong-Joo says, picking up the course of the talk.

"Thank you, Commander Yoon." Gwang-Nam nods at her and continues. "Even though I have seconded General Argus' lead to investigate the Denmark Prime Minister, I only did so with the intentions of clearing up that lead immediately." He then looks to Mo-Yeon and receives a stubborn glare from her.

"I believe there's another lead that could also lead us to much fruitful results, although this lead is not one that I am particularly pleased with either," he continues. "I do not want to dismiss the findings regarding the shell casing and would like to follow up on that front. There is a significant chance that the person behind this is an Urk Royal Armed Forces member."

Whispers and disapprovals start to flicker around the table as Gwan-Nam says this. He raises his voice a nudge to stay on top of the whispers. "This would answer why despite our exceptional security measures, the murder was pulled off. Because someone privy to our protocols, someone with access to the castle, is behind the attack. There are two possible outcomes if this lead turns out to be hot. One, that the perpetrator of the murder is an Urk Royal Armed Forces member hired by an outside country, which makes following General Argus' lead a viable action and lets us trace the mastermind rather than the hitman. Two, that the mastermind itself is an Urk citizen, or even more convincingly, a military member, and could even be linked to the truck full of ammunition found in the Second State of Dul just recently. This could mean that he or she has the capacity and influence to orchestrate such a seemingly perfect plan."

"This is outrageous!" General Park slams two fists into the table and stands up. "How dare you, a young General, just barely of age to run a whole state, suggest that one of us will cause trouble for our Kingdom! This is blasphemy and disrespect of the highest order! Some of us here have been holding our positions right when you were still sucking milk from your baby bottle. How dare you disgrace our name and our titles by accusing us of this?"

Gwang-Nam cuts General Park and explains, "General Park, with all due respect, I am even putting myself in question here."

A couple more generals and chief of police, noticeably those who have been appointed to their positions for decades, start to raise their concerns and disapprovals of Gwang-Nam's suggestion.

A voice belonging to one of the oldest men in the room, a chief of police Mo-Yeon could barely name, raises his deep, raspy voice. "We have dedicated our lives to protecting this country and what do we get in return? An attack from some pretty boy. If we're going to follow this course of action, I will be most reluctant to cooperate. If this course of action leaks to the public, it will surely disgrace the honor of those serving the crown."

Another wave of agreement throughout the table erupts.

"Ladies, gentlemen, please, here me out," Gwang-Nam pleads, calling everyone's attention by tapping his palm on the table. "There stands a reason that makes me consider that this is an inside job. That CCTV footage alone is highly questionable. How possible is it that no one else enters the bathroom after Chairman Han but somehow he ends up with a bullet on his head and no gun to suggest that he killed himself? It's easy enough to tamper with a CCTV footage, believe me, but changes to a surveillance video are impossible to track."

More whispers emanate from the table, forcing Myeong-Joo to call order. Shi-Jin looks over to Mo-Yeon, who looks terribly lost and at the verge of pulling out her hair from all the chaos and the frustration.

Argus raises his pen once again and adds, "While I, myself, am not opposed to having people look at my work, in the hopes of clearing my good name, I think subjecting your loyal, royal court to this level of scrutiny is in bad faith, Your Highness. We here have been personally hand-picked by the throne to serve the Kingdom of Urk. What does this say about the throne's judgment?"

Another surge of agreement sweeps the room.

Shi-Jin looks at Mo-Yeon, who is clearly torn and tired over the whole proceeding. He then clears his throat to attract attention, and speaks up. "Thank you, General Im, for that insightful lead. However, while that lead is terribly convenient for us, I agree, doubting and going against each other in these terrible times for Urk and for our Queen seems unwise. I would also like to raise that although execution is flawless if considered from within Urk, I don't see any motive why an Urk citizen would want to draw controversy towards his own country. We all have nothing to gain from it apart from more paperwork, more crowd unrest to deal with, and more work. And I have a personal motto that the best path to take is always the path that is less strewn with paperwork." This earns him a few chuckles from the younger police members but he continues. "So we will keep your lead noted, although we should focus our efforts for now towards General Argus' and start investigating all countries with potential motives and gains from Chairman Han's death."

"I agree with Captain Yoo on this," Myeong-Joo says. She then stands up, preparing to wrap up the session. Looking at everyone, it seems foolish to continue without more information and more rest. "I would like us to immediately begin upgrade of our defenses and forces, and our Queen will start her courtesy calls to our allied countries in three days' time. Our best investigation team will accompany the Queen on her first stop in Denmark, and we will deploy more teams in other countries to get a head start on the investigations. We will hear more from the lab and from forensics tomorrow so until then, we should call it a night—or I guess a morning since it's almost five. Any more concerns that won't be able to wait until later? None? Okay then, Generals, Chiefs, we're adjourned. Thank you. I'll see you all in ten hours."

Everyone is obviously weary and Myeong-Joo's call to wrap up for the meantime was welcomed by everyone. The Generals and the members of the Royal Armed Forces started dragging their selves out of the conference room, sparing Mo-Yeon the pleasantries since she's buried her face deep in her arms, which are crossed on top of the table.

Mo-Yeon listens to the footsteps making their way outside. As the footsteps fade, she hears Myeong-Joo say "Good night," her heels clicking until it's gone. When she can hear no more, she takes it as a cue that she can now rest easy. Her head still resting on her arms, she turns her head to the left where Shi-Jin sat, and sees him resting his head on his arms too, his head cocked sideways to look at her.

"I'm tired," Mo-Yeon says in a muffled voice, since half of her face is still buried in her arms.

"Who's Daniel, by the way? You're so overly protective of him," Shi-Jin asks, trying not to sound too overly interested, but failing.

Mo-Yeon tries to read his face to determine his motive for asking the question. Was he, too, suspicious of the Danish Prime Minister? "He's a childhood friend. And I'm pretty sure, as sure as I am with my name, that he is not capable of having anyone killed," she answers, now a little more clearly.

"I see," Shi-Jin says and pauses. "So it's just platonic between you two?"

Mo-Yeon's face crumples, a face that one makes when you smell something bad. "Of course! He's like a brother to me, silly. Dating him is like incest."

Shi-Jin frowns mockingly and helps himself up from the table. "That's what they all say," he says fleetingly, stretching his arms on top of his head.

"All what say what?" Mo-Yeon lifts her head up from the table as well and faces Shi-Jin, unable to understand his comment.

"Nothing. You should get some rest. Let me bring you to your room before I head out. If you don't get enough sleep you'll start having wrinkles all over your face here and here and here." As Shi-Jin says this, he traces imaginary wrinkles on Mo-Yeon's forehead.

"Sheesh. Okay, okay." Mo-Yeon swats Shi-Jin's hand away from her face. She then stands up and makes her way back to her room, Shi-Jin marching beside her. They walk the hallway in silence, only Mo-Yeon's heels and Shi-Jin's dress shoes on the marble floor making a sound. A pair of guards is stationed in every door they pass; their number, Mo-Yeon notices, almost tripled since last night's attack. As they reach Mo-Yeon's door, four guards are already on standby.

"Are all these guards really necessary?" Mo-Yeon asks, her hand halfway through opening her door. "I mean, no offense, guys," she adds, waving a never-mind-me-and-thank-you-for-your-service hand to the royal guards at her door.

"For the meantime, yes. Once we upgrade the castle's security devices, maybe then we'll be able to lower the number of stationed guards again," Shi-Jin replies, his hands deep in his pockets.

"I see," Mo-Yeon nods. "Okay then, good night, Captain."

"Good night." Shi-Jin smiles at her and adds, genuinely, this time without any hint of teasing or mockery he's usually employing, "Your Highness," and he watches Mo-Yeon safely get inside her bedroom before he turns around and makes his way back to his quarters.

As Mo-Yeon gets inside, she leans her back against the closed doors, her hands tied on her back, still grasping the cold silver door handle. She then realizes that ever since that fateful day when Myeong-Joo forced Shi-Jin into their lives, it's only now that Shi-Jin has called her "Your Highness" again, and somehow, for reasons she can't understand, for the first time, hearing someone address her like that puts a small smile on her face.

 **xxxxx**

" _Mom, I have a question."_

 _Ah-In and Mo-Yeon were enjoying some quiet time in Ah-In's room, with Ah-In seated on the bed and her daughter sitting on the floor with her back to her mother. Ah-In was combing Mo-Yeon's hair, something Mo-Yeon loved, saying it made her feel calm and sleepy._

" _Yes, my dear?" Ah-In asks._

 _Mo-Yeon chewed on her lower lip for a moment, deciding how best to phrase her question. "You know, Myeong-Joo is pretty young to take on the responsibilities that her father left. But she's remarkable. She's fierce, she's strong, and even the generals are intimidated by her and respects her."_

" _Yes, Myeong-Joo has become one fine woman, indeed," Ah-In said in agreement. "But that's not really a question, is it?"_

" _Yeah, no," Mo-Yeon shook her head. "My question was, how old do you think I'll be when I have to take on your responsibilities, mom? Do I have to wait for you to, you know, get old, because that's going to be a really long time and I really want to practice my profession first so that's a great thing for me. I wouldn't want to get inducted to the throne when you're still this young and pretty, and that's not going to change in like forty or even fifty more years!"_

" _You ramble, Mo-Yeon. Be more succinct in how you phrase your thoughts. This is the proper way for a lady to talk—and a doctor, too, I suppose." Ah-In replied with a light chuckle._

 _Mo-Yeon rolled her eyes. "Okay, Your Majesty, you're young. Very young and strong. And that's great! Live long and prosper! Don't feel that you need to rush me into assuming the throne because I'm fine. Really. I just don't want you to get any ideas since Myeong-Joo's around my age, maybe a tad bit older, and she's all grown up and ready to army and stuff," Mo-Yeon said in a tone that's both whining and defensive._

 _Ah-In smiled a gentle smile to herself and put down the brush. She then tapped Mo-Yeon on the shoulder to turn her around to face her, and cradles Mo-Yeon's face in her delicate hand. There was silence for a while, Ah-In trying to collect her thoughts and Mo-Yeon trying to read her mother's face. It's been more than a few months since Mo-Yeon came back to Urk, and she stayed mainly because she had noticed the doctor's frequent visits to her mother. While Ah-In had not said anything yet, she knew that Ah-In was not in the best of healths. Extending her stay in Urk did not hurt her too much, after all, as she had been able to resume some of the royal training she had left when her classes abroad resumed._

 _Ah-In kept her hand on her daughter's face, her voice soft and comforting. "You'll always have to be prepared to take the throne, my love, because if there's one thing we're certain about is that tomorrow will be filled with uncertainty. So always be steadfast in your resolve to becoming a proper Queen of the Kingdom of Urk. And in time, I am more than certain that our Kingdom will be honored to have you as its Queen."_

 _Mo-Yeon looked at her mother's face and felt that she needed—wanted—to hug her. She wrapped her arms around Ah-In and laid her head against her chest, knowing that if there's anything she's going to be steadfast about, it's not the throne or her profession or even herself—it's that she would do anything to make her mother proud._


	8. A plane to catch

Chapter 8

The last three days have been very busy for the whole Kingdom. In such a very short time, the Vice President's death has quickly taken a toll on the country's trades and international relations, and in extension, is dealing quite a blow on the whole Royal entourage. Mo-Yeon and Shi-Jin have been bickering more so than usual, the Generals are more irritating and agitated than ever, and Dae-Young is even more rigid than before.

Myeong-Joo paces around her office, having just called for Shi-Jin to report to her about their itinerary for the next few weeks. Mo-Yeon will be very busy in the next few days as she is scheduled to pay courtesy calls to a number of allied countries and Myeong-Joo knows how particularly taxing it will be for her since she will be addressing the investigations on Denmark's Prime Minister, Daniel Spencer. A couple of Mo-Yeon's Royal Guards, of course, will be accompanying her, and that means the Chief of the Royal Police, too, Seo Dae-Young.

Yoon Myeong-Joo and Seo Dae-Young's relationship throughout the years has been quite a ride. Growing up close to the castle together, she and Dae-Young have managed to create a very unique, albeit close bond. But at the end of the day, the two never really cleared or defined anything. Especially after Myeong-Joo became Chief of State Police, and then Commander-in-chief short after, they really never had enough time to think about their relationship. Remembering that Dae-Young will be accompanying Mo-Yeon on her overseas tour, Myeong-Joo begins to think about the development of their relationship for the past few years—which is close to nothing.

A knock interrupts Myeong-Joo's thoughts and Dae-Young lets himself in before she could respond. Myeong-Joo looks at him as he approaches her, stopping just an arm's length from her.

"I called for Shi-Jin—"

"The Captain sent me," Dae-Young interrupts her.

Myeong-Joo eyes him and nods. "I see. So, your report, then?"

Dae-Young is always very formal towards Myeong-Joo, even when no one else is around. And while Myeong-Joo knows it's all protocol, she can't help but feel disappointed that even after all these years, their ranks still would come in between them.

"Captain Yoo has ironed out Her Majesty's schedule and we will be leaving tomorrow at six in the morning," Dae-Young starts, not falling out of his stance. "Our first stop, as discussed, will be Denmark, and Shi-Jin estimates that we will be spending a week at the capital before transferring to neighboring European countries. Shi-Jin has tasked me to keep you updated and I will send you a detailed report at the end of each day at seven in the evening. The Royal Entourage will comprise of Captain Yoo, myself, and seven other Royal Police members. The final list has been forwarded to you earlier today, I presume."

Myeong-Joo takes one step toward Dae-Young and he doesn't make a move. "I guess you'll be gone a while, huh?"

Dae-Young nods silently, their eyes still locked onto each other.

Myeong-Joo sighs and rests her head on Dae-Young's shoulder. "I will be looking forward to your daily reports, then."

"Same as I."

Myeong-Joo frowns at Dae-Young's lack of emotion and moves to hit his shoulder with her right hand. She is surprised when he catches her wrist before it hits him so she lifts her head from his chest. Myeong-Joo puts her hand down but Dae-Young keeps his grip on her wrist.

"I will miss you, you know that, right?" Myeong-Joo says angrily. "You never spend enough time with me."

"I know."

"When all this is done, whoever has caused all this, I promise, will receive a proper beating from me," Myeong-Joo says through gritted teeth.

"With all the paperwork that the incident has caused, I guess you'll have to wait in line after Shi-Jin," Dae-Young replies to lighten the mood.

"Will you spend more time with me then? When all this is done?" Myeong-Joo looks at him.

Dae-Young doesn't move or talk for a moment and just lets the silence bring them closer, their breathing in a harmonic duet. He lets his hand slide from her wrist to her hands, and he squeezes just lightly, assuring.

He then moves to let go of Myeong-Joo's hand but she tightens her grip on his. "If I let you go, I'm afraid you won't come back to me," she says quietly.

Dae-Young moves his other hand so both are holding on to Myeong-Joo's. A familiar warmth spreads within Myeong-Joo, emanating from Dae-Young's huge and slightly calloused hands now softly caressing hers. "I was just always here, Myeong-Joo. And I'll always be."

 **xxxxx**

Mornings that once have been a cause of chaos and ruckus in the castle are now quiet and fuss-free. Ever since the incident, Min-Ji always arrived to an already awake Mo-Yeon, who is always silently combing her hair in front of her dresser.

Today is no different. Mo-Yeon is scheduled to board the plane with Shi-Jin and the rest of her entourage at six, so at five, she's already bathed, dressed, and ready to board. Min-Ji enters her room and notices that Mo-Yeon, yet again, is absent-mindedly combing her hair in front of her mirror.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Min-Ji greets her and moves to comb her hair for her. She receives a weak reply from Mo-Yeon and a yawn.

"Are Shi-Jin and the rest of the guards ready to leave? Is Myeong-Joo awake?" Mo-Yeon asks.

"Commander Yoon, Captain Yoo, and Chief Seo are already at the hangar. Commander Yoon has asked me to pick you up and bring you to the hangar and wishes to inform you that you can have breakfast on the plane," Min-Ji replies. "I have brought your bags to the hangar, too. If you think you'll need to pack anything else, let me know so I can fix it for you now."

Mo-Yeon smiles at Min-Ji through the mirror and shakes her head. "I have nothing else to pack, thank you, Min-Ji." Mo-Yeon then stands up and picks up the handbag sitting on her bed. "I am ready, should we go?"

Min-Ji nods and the pair walks out of the room, towards the hangar at the other end of the castle. Min-Ji looks worriedly at Mo-Yeon and fails to keep herself from bursting out, "Are you really sure you don't need me with you, Your Highness? I still think I can be of more help if I came with you."

Mo-Yeon looks at Min-Ji and smiles. Min-Ji has been worrying over her for the past few days, even more so than before, and all the worrying is rubbing off on Mo-Yeon. Instead of feeling better, she feels that Min-Ji's apprehension and concern is only causing her own anxiety to refuse to stay at bay. This is why she has refused to take Min-Ji with her to her international tour.

"I'll be fine, Min-Ji, you worry wart. Don't worry, I won't make too much a fuss about my clothes. And I'll be sure to shop a lot at Denmark so I can keep my head straight," Mo-Yeon says reassuringly.

Min-Ji looks like she wants to burst into tears so she decides to keep her mouth shut instead. In the end, the two ladies spent the rest of the way to the hangar in silence.

As they arrive, Mo-Yeon sees Myeong-Joo and Shi-Jin fussing over Dae-Young's suit. Dae-Young looks extremely uncomfortable so the two must be teasing him again. As Mo-Yeon nears the trio, Shi-Jin notices her and peels himself from the group to meet her.

"Thank you, Min-Ji. I'll see you in a couple of weeks," Mo-Yeon makes the move to hug Min-Ji, who is now hurriedly wiping tears from her eyes. "I'll be fine. Hurry back to the castle now, they might need your help over there."

Min-Ji nods and curtsies before she leaves. "Please take care, Your Highness."

Mo-Yeon nods and watches Min-Ji clumsily make her way back to the castle. Shi-Jin stops beside her and takes her handbag from her. "You don't look rested," he says.

"Why do you say that?"

"You're not as pretty as you usually are." Shi-Jin smirks.

"So early and yet you have the energy to bully me." Mo-Yeon scoffs at Shi-Jin and marches towards Myeong-Joo and Dae-Young. She catches Myeong-Joo's words about not missing meals or staying up too late watching porn before Myeong-Joo notices her and turns to her.

"You, too. You don't have me or Min-Ji to take care of you so don't be stupid or forgetful about what you need to eat or do," Myeong-Joo starts to lecture her as she approaches.

"Copy that, Commander Yoon." Mo-Yeon fakes a salute at Myeong-Joo and smiles.

"I'll be sure to take care of her, Myeong-Joo, don't worry," Shi-Jin cuts in as he takes Mo-Yeon's side.

Mo-Yeon throws a glare at Shi-Jin before she turns back to Myeong-Joo to give her a hesitant hug. Myeong-Joo swats Mo-Yeon's arms just after short of two Mississippis and says, "Okay, okay, that's enough hugging. You three board that plane before I change my mind about letting you take Dae-Young from me."

Shi-Jin chuckles and ruffles Myeong-Joo's hair—to her immense dissatisfaction—before the three of them make their way to the plane. Mo-Yeon and Shi-Jin are quick to climb the stairs to the plane door, and Dae-Young follows suit, but not before sparing one last look at Myeong-Joo.

"We should have taken Myeong-Joo with us, you know," Mo-Yeon whispers to Shi-Jin, as quietly as she could to keep Dae-Young from hearing her. "It'll be like a holiday."

"Or a double date?" Shi-Jin replies as softly, with Mo-Yeon's face still inches from his ear.

Mo-Yeon scowls at Shi-Jin's response and pushes him away on the shoulder. "I'm just saying, I don't like seeing Myeong-Joo so sad."

"You do know someone has to stay at Urk to take care of the important stuff while you're gone, right?"

"We could have left you and taken Myeong-Joo instead." Mo-Yeon rolls her eyes, settling herself in her seat.

Shi-Jin plops down across her and crosses one leg over the other. "After what happened, I'm not letting you out of my sight. I'm not letting anyone lay a finger on you."

Mo-Yeon bites her lower lip and looks away from Shi-Jin's serious face. "Why do you always have to make it awkward!"

Shi-Jin chuckles and turns back to face Dae-Young, who has taken a seat behind him. "And you, I can't believe you're willing to leave Myeong-Joo like that. You're so heartless!"

Dae-Young doesn't face Shi-Jin and pretends to fix his tie. "Myeong-Joo is capable enough of looking after herself. It's you who needs taking care of."

Shi-Jin scoffs at Dae-Young and shakes his head in disbelief. "Me? The great Yoo Shi-Jin? Let me tell you, Chief Seo Dae-Young—"

Dae-Young cuts Shi-Jin before he launches into a litany of his self-proclaimed titles and awards such as being a member of the Order of The Handsome King, honorary member of the Court of Fine-looking Militias, and recipient of the Most Attractive Personnel Award. "Let me rephrase that. Someone has to stop you from causing our Queen unwarranted stress and dissatisfaction," Dae-Young nods to Mo-Yeon, who looks smugly at Shi-Jin.

"Kiss ass," Shi-Jin mutters under his breath, but loud enough for both Dae-Young and Mo-Yeon to hear.

Mo-Yeon lets herself get buried in the comfortable plane seat and lifts her feet up on the table in front of her and Shi-Jin. Shi-Jin looks at Mo-Yeon for her blatant disregard for primness and properness. "So, three hours to Denmark. Three hours before more tedious respectfulness towards Denmark's Queen."

Shi-Jin leans back on his own seat. His hands settle comfortably on the armrests and he props his feet beside Mo-Yeon's on the table. "And three hours of time, which will be well spent with Shi-Jin," he adds.

Mo-Yeon gives him a mocking smile and looks out of the window. She watches the crew on the ground still running about, finishing their rituals before the plane makes it ascend.

"Doctor Kang, did you know that there's this woman who was arrested in Florida for smuggling in a freshly severed human head on board a plane?" Shi-Jin interrupts Mo-Yeon's thoughts and motions to the suitcase sitting beside his seat. "The head still had its teeth and hair intact, and it was believed that it's useful in keeping evil spirits away."

Mo-Yeon looks disgusted at Shi-Jin, and then at the suitcase, and then back at him. "Don't tell me you have a human head in there, too? You're the kind of person who looks like they've got Voodoo sitting in their closets."

He crosses his arms across his chest and smiles evilly at her. "Well, I'm not allowed to tell you that underneath this terribly handsome face is a face of a fifty-year-old man. That would break the voodoo."

Mo-Yeon's frown deepens and wrinkles her nose. "That explains why you smell like a fifty-year-old!"

Shi-Jin laughs at her and notices a young man approaching. He then quickly pushes Mo-Yeon's feet from the table with his. Mo-Yeon is caught off-guard as her feet slides from the table and falls onto the floor clumsily. Shi-Jin watches the young flight-attendant pass their table and head straight for the pilot's cabin as Mo-Yeon glares at him. "What was that for?!"

Shi-Jin collects his own feet from the table and crosses his left leg on the other. "That young man was passing and I didn't want him to get a peek at your indecent position, so you're welcome."

"What indecent—did you see my—" Mo-Yeon's face turns from oblivious to embarrassed to fuming as she realizes that Shi-Jin has been privy to her intimates all this time and did not even bother to point it out. "You could've told me!"

Shi-Jin stands up and picks up his suitcase. "Well I've already seen it, there's no point asking you to change your position if that was a comfortable one. I just couldn't risk other people taking a peek." He chuckles and starts to walk away from Mo-Yeon.

"Yoo Shi-Jin, you pervert!"

 **xxxxx**

 _It was September 2008 and the temperature in Britain has become wet pretty quickly. Autumn was just starting to sink in but the winds were not forgiving and the rains came at the worst moments. This was why Shi-Jin was only too willing to go in behalf of the British crown to Australia, where Spring was in its full bloom. The British monarch assigned Shi-Jin to present an important artifact to the Australian Prime Minister and deliver a considerate gift in return for a previous favor, so Shi-Jin was currently on-board the British royal plane, already on his way to Canberra, Australia._

 _The flight from London to Canberra was a tedious 23 hours or so and Shi-Jin wasn't even at the five-hour mark and he was already bored out of his mind. He put his book down and brought out his laptop to become a tad bit productive, intending to answer his e-mails and sort out his correspondence. He went through his inbox and found it a pleasant surprise to receive an e-mail from Myeong-Joo since communication from her has been scarce since her father's death in March. He opened the e-mail and went through it twice in a minute._

 _The e-mail was short. Shi-Jin immediately slammed his laptop lid close after his second reading of the e-mail. Myeong-Joo expressed her concern about Shi-Jin's father, who she heard has yet to contact anyone from Urk since he was sent to Russia last month. Shi-Jin clenched his teeth as he remembered his last conversation with his father, where he informed him of his assignment in Ingushetia._

" _Don't lose sight of your duty to the Crown of Urk, Shi-Jin. It comes before everything else, even your own life. Forgive me if I have been less of a father than a solider, but this is what we are destined and expected to be. You have already made me proud, son, but I have faith that you will bring more honor and glory to our family and to our kingdom."_

 _Shi-Jin caught himself saying his father's last words to him aloud, every word still etched in his memory. At that time, it felt like an order, a command from his father, that his life will always be for the Crown. More recently, it felt like a reminder of his and his father's duty to their kingdom, wherever they are. But at that exact moment, sitting at the plane, remembering Myeong-Joo's concern and his father's voice, Shi-Jin thought that his father's last call felt more like words of goodbye from a father to a son, from a captain to his officer._

 **xxxxx**

Shi-Jin feels small and delicate fingers resting on the side of his neck. As his eyes open, he sees Mo-Yeon just inches from his face, the index and middle fingers of her right hand pressed on his neck, right below his jaw line, and the other sporting her watch. Mo-Yeon is focused on the watch on her wrist but she is close enough for him to hear and feel her breathing.

Shi-Jin gazes at Mo-Yeon, who is silently mouthing her count as she watches the hand on her watch tick. He watches her eyelashes bat every so often, her eyes following the hand, the fine strands of hair dancing in front of her face like thin branches swaying to a spring wind. A few seconds later, he catches her eye.

"I was taking your pulse from your carotid artery," Mo-Yeon interrupts the silence that has hung in the air. "I wasn't satisfied with what I was reading from the radial artery on your wrist so I tried your neck."

"That doesn't answer why you're taking my pulse?"

"You looked pained in your sleep. And you were murmuring to yourself," Mo-Yeon says softly, her gaze falling back to her watch. "I didn't want to wake you so I tried taking your pulse to check if I had to."

Shi-Jin notices she has yet to let go of her hand on his neck. He clears his throat and the vibration on his neck alerts Mo-Yeon that her fingers are still nestled on Shi-Jin's jaw line. She hastily withdraws her hand and collects herself from being seated on the table in front of him. Her fingers fly to her own neck, absent-mindedly rubbing the spot behind her ear. She shuffles back to her seat in front of him and asks, "Do you remember what you were dreaming about?"

Shi-Jin lets out a sigh and rubs his temple, remembering the dream like a forming headache. "It was 2008, I was on my way to Australia. I was thinking about my father, how he's disappeared like a friggin' mushroom."

"I heard your father was in Russia." Mo-Yeon's hands now rest on her lap.

"Was, is, I don't know. He still has yet to make contact until now," Shi-Jin's face hardens and the headache is now starting to settle, too. "We've sent multiple search parties for him but nothing has turned up."

"I'm sorry," Mo-Yeon offers, her hands fidgeting on her lap. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, it's fine. Myeong-Joo does send a search party every other month to Russia, just in case something new turns up, or he himself turns up. I don't know, I don't give it much thought nowadays because it's just frustrating not knowing. I've been to Russia once, too, just to try for myself, but yes, it's all so very futile, I know. But we're not giving up just yet. My father is a stubborn old man and he's got quite a knack for top-secret missions. So if he's found something very important and sensitive, he won't risk the slimmest chance of success with a phone call or a text. Who knows? He might just turn up tomorrow, or next week, and he's solved the elusive concept of world peace."

Mo-Yeon looks at Shi-Jin as he rambles about his father and tries to search him for emotions. He's trying not to show anything, but for the first time, she sees he is lost, unsure of himself. Shi-Jin scratches the back of his head and settles back in his seat, a little more uncomfortably than before.

"I'm sure he's going to turn up. And when he does, we should make sure he still has a decent kingdom to return to." Mo-Yeon tries to smile.

Shi-Jin looks at her and appreciates her effort to comfort him. He is too uncertain to force a smile of his own but he settles for a nod.

Mo-Yeon looks at her watch. They have an hour more before they arrive at Denmark. "Do you have more of those plane facts to share with me? That headless story was particularly fascinating, to be honest."

Shi-Jin continues to fix his gaze at Mo-Yeon for a moment—or maybe it was longer than a moment. She was trying to distract him, he knows. And frankly, he didn't want to go back to sleep either, in fear that another memory might take over his dreams. It is the first time in a while, well since he has come back to Urk as the Captain of the Royal Guards, that that level of frustration and uncertainty has made its way back to Shi-Jin's consciousness. He has been consciously trying to keep his unresolved father issues at bay, but this time, he's let his defenses down—and in front of Mo-Yeon, no less.

He is still looking at her and her gaze is still fixed on a point in his suit, unable to meet his eyes. He realizes how Mo-Yeon is unlike Myeong-Joo, who is the type that would claw at him for details every chance she gets. Mo-Yeon is more like him, someone who knows when it is better to keep the lid on some boxed-up unresolved emotions. It is not the healthiest way of dealing with things, no, but there are certain issues that just beg for the right time, the right place, the exact right moment, to be let loose and faced head on. And this is that kind of issue, and not the right kind of place nor time. And she understood that.

He sighs a small smile and starts telling the tale of a dead old man, who was smuggled into a commercial flight in a wheelchair by his wife, saying that his husband was just extremely sleepy.


	9. When jealousy strikes

Chapter 9

Mo Yeon hated Kim Eun-Ji. But if you had to put it into politically succinct terms, the Queen of the Kingdom of Urk hated the Queen of Denmark.

Denmark is a great and prosperous nation and in the recent years has experienced a tremendous amount of international influence and economic boost, thanks to the wise guidance of its leader—not the Queen, who, unlike Mo Yeon, merely plays a cultural role in Denmark. The extraordinary place that Denmark has enjoyed in the recent years is all the doing of its Prime Minister, Daniel Spencer.

Daniel is young; young for a Prime Minister, just as how Mo-Yeon is constantly regarded as too young to be a Queen. But his rise to the top has been flawless because he is no short of a prodigy, is a charismatic speaker, and a son to two of the most influential people in Denmark. His relationship with Mo-Yeon dates back to their even younger days, when the Spencer couple would visit the Kingdom of Urk to spend time with Queen Ah-In. Ah-In was a close friend of the Spencers so their frequent visits to Urk gave birth to the brother-sister relationship between the two.

"But you hate Queen Kim Eun-Ji?" Shi-Jin looks at Mo-Yeon with a confused look.

The view outside the plane window is as clouded as before and there is nothing that could distract Mo-Yeon from Shi-Jin's tiring line of questioning. "She thinks too highly of herself when Daniel is really the only one doing all the real work around there."

Shi-Jin tries to keep the chuckle from emerging from his lips. "But she's still the Queen, right? So you have no choice but to be good to her."

"Good? Not for a million kingdoms. Civil, barely." Mo-Yeon sighs in frustration. "I don't understand why Daniel keeps defending her from me."

Shi-Jin squints his eyes and looks at her with doubt. "Maybe there's nothing wrong with her and you're just jealous?"

"Jealous about what?" Mo-Yeon's voice raises a notch higher and louder.

"I don't know, maybe because she gets to spend time with Daniel and you don't?" Shi-Jin pushes.

Mo-Yeon looks at him for a moment and considers his suggestion. She then shrugs, "Yeah, maybe that, too."

Shi-Jin's brows furrow at her reply. He stands up abruptly and with no further remark, stomps his way to the pilot's cabin. Mo-Yeon stares at Shi-Jin's back as he makes his exit and frowns. She calls to Dae-Young, who turns his head and looks over his shoulder. "Is Shi-Jin defending Eun-Ji, too?"

"If there's one thing he is defending right now, it's his pride. Never mind him, Your Highness," Dae-Young says in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone and turns back.

Mo-Yeon head tilts to the left and she holds her gaze at the closed doors of the pilot's cabin before she hears the pilot over the PA saying, "The plane is preparing to descend. Please keep seated and fasten your seatbelts as we prepare for landing. Again, please keep seated and fasten your seatbelts as the plane prepares to land. Thank you."

Shi-Jin emerges from the cabin and instead of going back to his seat in front of Mo-Yeon, he heads straight to the seat across Dae-Young. Mo-Yeon frowns at Shi-Jin's behavior and fastens her seatbelt. The plane trembles, signaling the plane's preparation for descent, and Mo-Yeon watches Denmark loom larger into view through her window. A few more minutes and the royal entourage is safely on ground, with Denmark's own on standby to receive Mo-Yeon and her group.

As Mo-Yeon alights the plane stairs, she sees Daniel and Eun-Ji in view. Eun-Ji is her usual airy self and Daniel is still just as majestic. She sees Daniel nod to Eun-Ji before he makes his way to her, offering a hand to help her off the stairs.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day that the busy queen of Urk would make time to visit the humble Kingdom of Denmark." Daniel smiles and kisses Mo-Yeon's hand.

Mo-Yeon's eyes light up at the sight of her childhood friend and breaks out into a hug. Daniel keeps his hand on her back in response and the other pats her head, much like how a big brother would greet his younger sister. Shi-Jin and Dae-Young stay behind Mo-Yeon, and Dae-Young notices a stiff aura surround his Captain.

"I'm sorry if it had to take a disaster for us to see each other again," Mo-Yeon frowns as she lets go of Daniel.

"Nonsense. Let's leave the complicated stuff for later. For now, let me make it up to my favorite girl in the world," Daniel grins and offers his arm to Mo-Yeon, who takes it in a heartbeat. The group makes their way to Eun-Ji, already sporting a rather nasty smirk only she could pass off as friendly.

"Queen Kang, welcome to Denmark," Eun-Ji says sweetly, already eyeing the two men behind Mo-Yeon instead of her.

Mo-Yeon makes do without Eun-Ji's fake friendly and merely gives a nod. "It is with deepest regret that I have to come here on such circumstances, Queen Kim. But thank you for your hospitality," she says coldly.

"If it would be to your convenience, I will be pleased to have you join me for dinner tonight. I regret that I will be quite indisposed to hosting you for the rest of the day." Eun-Ji keeps her smile, emphasizing 'indisposed' as she spoke.

Mo-Yeon rolls her eyes to herself and settles with a sigh to keep her temper in check. "No offense taken, Queen Kim. We will see you later tonight."

Eun-Ji gives her best smile once again, her gaze still fixed on Shi-Jin and Dae-Young, and turns her back to lead the group back to the castle. Mo-Yeon lets out a deep breath and mouths a "sorry" to Daniel. He only smiles at her and shakes his head. Dae-Young looks at Shi-Jin to measure his reaction and he sees him pull out a pair of Ray-Ban he lets sit snugly on the bridge of his nose, and continues to walk with both hands buried in his pockets. Dae-Young tries to keep his smile to himself and marches quietly beside Shi-Jin, knowing it's going to be a long week at Denmark.

 **xxxxx**

As the party sits around the long dining table, with Eun-Ji at the end of the table and Mo-Yeon on the other end, Shi-Jin notices that Mo-Yeon made sure she dressed to impress. She dons a white long-sleeved dress, with the whole bodice covered in lace, and white sandals to top it off. Small pearls adorn her ears and her wrist, just enough to show off to Eun-Ji.

"Mo-Yeon, I'm really happy you have come to Denmark. And it also brings me immense pleasure to see how well you're doing as the Urk's Queen," Daniel says before bringing a forkful of food to his lips.

"What honor to receive such a compliment from Denmark's finest," Mo-Yeon replies with a bright smile.

Eun-Ji then clears her throat to catch the attention of the group. "You know, Queen Kang, we truly have been mortified when we heard about what happened to the Vice President."

Mo-Yeon makes an effort to hide her discomfort at Eun-Ji's preferred topic of conversation but lets her eyes dart to Eun-Ji at the other end of the table.

"But please know that you have our fullest support, in whatever form you need. I wouldn't mind dropping by Urk myself to show an action of solidarity," Eun-Ji continues, sending a wink at Shi-Jin's way.

Mo-Yeon looks at Shi-Jin and he dignifies Eun-Ji's gesture with a small smirk and a nod. She puts her fork down with a clatter and reaches for a glass of water. _How dare he!_

Shi-Jin's spares a glimpse at Mo-Yeon for a second, before he addresses Eun-Ji. "Your Majesty, let me speak in behalf of Her Royal Highness Queen Kang Mo-Yeon and thank you for graciously welcoming us into your Kingdom. It is with support from our allies as yourself that we are able to transcend the crisis that has fallen in our Kingdom," he says and continues, "Also, please do not deem me rude if I say the Prime Minister is quite a lucky man to have such elegance and beauty by his side."

Mo-Yeon feels her ears go hotter as she listens to Shi-Jin. _How dare he betray me and side with that evil witch!_

"I'm pretty sure you feel as honored yourself, Captain Yoo Shi-Jin, as you, too, have such a brilliant and loving Queen to support you," Daniel interjects, sending a smile on Mo-Yeon's way.

"Well I won't disagree with that, my queen is a rather fine woman," Shi-Jin replies.

Dae-Young watches the little exchange in front of him and clears his throat to signal Shi-Jin.

"But moving on to more pressing matters, of course—" Shi-Jin straightens up, putting down his utensils and continues, "—I hope you're aware that we are here to assure the Kingdom of Denmark that Urk has things under control. Additionally, we would like to seek your aid in catching the perpetrators behind the terrible crime. So if there's any information you would like to share with us that could help us get closer to solving this mystery, that would be most welcome, Mr. Spencer."

Daniel folds his hands in front of him and now turns his attention to Shi-Jin. "As much as we would like to help you, Captain Yoo, I must admit that we have little information about the Vice President as we are not very much acquainted with him. As you know, we are not a member of the International Federation, thus, we have minimal dealings with them. But as far as assistance is concerned, I would like to offer our royal police if you have anything you would need their help for."

Shi-Jin searches Daniel's face as he says this, and notices his jaw tightens for a moment. He knew it wasn't much going forward but there must be some underlying meaning or agenda behind his seemingly innocent words. Only Mo-Yeon was enamored enough with Daniel to not see through him. He decides to push further and replies, "Your offer is much obliged, Mr. Spencer, thank you. But if I may overstay my welcome for a moment, I would like to ask Denmark's reason for not allying itself with the IF? Our Kingdom has shared many triumphs and successes as a member of the IF and I'm sure it is our loss not to have a Kingdom as great as yours under the same oath."

"Sadly, it's just that our Kingdom just doesn't see eye-to-eye with the standard bearers of the IF. We do not want to endanger the harmony the IF has struck with this kind of relationship," Daniel says as calmly as he always is.

"Are these misunderstandings on a political or a more personal level, Mr. Spencer?"

"Why, Captain Yoo, I feel like you are subjecting me to a police enquiry with such line of questioning," Daniel says with a smile on his face.

Mo-Yeon looks at Shi-Jin and desperately tries to make sense of his hostility towards Daniel.

"I feel like there's nothing too difficult with my questions if there's nothing to hide," Shi-Jin replies with a smile of his own on his face.

"Would you like to subject me to a formal investigation then, Captain?"

"That sounds like a terribly fine suggestion, Mr. Spencer, and we may actually indulge you on that if it would be to hasten the resolution of this crisis."

"Are you suspecting my good name, Captain?"

"Should we?"

"Captain Yoo Shi-Jin!" Mo-Yeon bursts out, her face now red from embarrassment. The occupants of the dining table all look to the now seething Mo-Yeon, her voice a slightly higher pitch, but commanding. She says between gritted teeth, "You have disgraced me in front of our allies. I request you please leave this room right now."

Shi-Jin opens his mouth to say something but closes it again. "Forgive me, Your Highness. Excuse me," he then says reluctantly and heads out of the dining room.

Silence settles on the room and persists even after Shi-Jin has left. The sound of the silverware hitting the chinaware is drowned by the heavy layer of chagrin and unease that hung in the air.

"Please forgive my Captain as he is under immense pressure at the moment," Mo-Yeon says softly, breaking the silence, but not so much the tension. "Also, if it would not be too much, I would like to excuse myself to settle in for the night. We have had a rather early start today and I admit I am in terrible need for rest."

Dae-Young and Daniel then stands up to acknowledge Mo-Yeon's request to leave. Dae-Young hurries to Mo-Yeon and pulls her chair for her to stand up.

"Cast your worries away, Mo-Yeon, and get a good night's rest. I'll see you in the morning," Daniel says reassuringly.

"Thank you," Mo-Yeon nods at Daniel and turns to Eun-Ji. "Thank you for the dinner, Queen Kim."

Mo-Yeon then heads straight for her bedroom, Dae-Young silent beside her. Her thoughts fly to Shi-Jin and her face flushes again as she remembers how Shi-Jin assaulted Daniel on the dining table. Her hands fly to her head and she attempts to shake the feeling of embarrassment away, to no avail.

"You know, worrying is only twice the pain," Dae-Young says, snapping Mo-Yeon out of her daze.

"Who said that?"

"Captain Yoo."

Mo-Yeon bites her lip at the mention of Shi-Jin's name and they come to a halt in front of her door. "Thank you, Dae-Young. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Your Highness," Dae-Young bows and takes his leave.

Mo-Yeon lets out a deep gush of breath and pushes her bedroom door open, only to find Shi-Jin already seated on her bed. She closes the door behind her but does not go near him, and settles on leaning her back on the door, arms crossed in front of her "You were terrible out there."

"I'm not sorry. If he had nothing to hide, the questions would have been simple to answer," Shi-Jin replies obstinately. "Besides, didn't you notice how fishy it all sounds? How fishy it all looks? Are you blind or do you just willingly close your eyes to keep the pristine image of Daniel Spencer on your head?"

Mo-Yeon's eyes widen and her lips purse at Shi-Jin's accusations. She bites her lower lip to stop it from trembling from both confusion and anger before she manages to bite back at him. "Where is all these coming from? Do you actually believe General Argus? Do you think Daniel is responsible for the VP's death? Daniel is like a brother to me! He wouldn't do anything that can hurt me! And besides, you have no right to judge him because you've just known him for hours! For all I know, you're the one responsible for his death! Urk was eerily peaceful before you came along! And I've known Daniel all my life. How long I've known you doesn't even compare. So maybe it's you I should be suspecting!"

Shi-Jin's face hardens as she looks straight at Mo-Yeon. He collects himself from the bed, makes his way towards Mo-Yeon, and only stops to trap Mo-Yeon between his arms, their faces inches from each other. His gaze does not waver, nor does hers, and they stare angrily at each other, not counting the seconds or the minutes that passed.

"I have done nothing, ever since I came back, but protect you, look out for you," Shi-Jin says quietly, his voice a low and deep murmur that felt like it reverberated around the room. "Every waking moment, every second of every day, I have spent thinking about the crown, the Kingdom, thinking about you. And yet you accuse me, you doubt my sincerity, my methods, my heart."

Mo-Yeon feels her knees buckle, wanting to give way under her. Shi-Jin's gaze pierced her, his words crushing her every resolve. And she suddenly felt her heart ache at the accusations she has hurled his way. She parts her lips but no sound emerges. _I didn't mean that, Yoo Shi-Jin, I'm sorry,_ she wants to say. But no word came out.

"I will say sorry, if that's what you please. But I will not back down, I will not stop probing. Because I will not let anything, even your fine judgment, compromise your security and your integrity. I will continue seeking out if that's what will keep you safe. Because I promised, and I will not fall short of my father's will." Shi-Jin lets his hands drop to his side and straightens up. "Good night, Your Highness."

Mo-Yeon stays still as Shi-Jin lets himself out the other door. And as Shi-Jin calls her "Your Highness" once again, this time, she feels a million tiny hands take a handful and squeeze at her heart, until it was so painful she felt nothing anymore.

 **Xxxxx**

Breakfast is painfully awkward and grim, compared to last dinner's heated charade. Although Eun-Ji did not join Mo-Yeon and her party at the table, it didn't help that Daniel and Shi-Jin sat at either side of Mo-Yeon. And since she positioned herself at the end of the table, the two men ended up sitting across each other, careful not to get caught as they stole glances at the other. Dae-Young is no help either, being his usual stoic self.

"Mo-Yeon, do you think you can spare some time for me today?" Daniel's sudden query breaks the heavy and pungent smell of unnamed ill-harbored feelings that hang in the air. "Eun-Ji is quite busy today and has no need for me, so I thought I should at least entertain my favorite overseas Queen."

"Favorite overseas Queen, Daniel? Seriously?" Mo-Yeon frowns at him. "You just couldn't say your favorite Queen, period?"

Daniel gives her a light chuckle and leans in a little closer, sending Shi-Jin into a frenzy of emotions that he tried so hard to keep in check since he sat down. "I would say that, but I am rather obliged to favor my Queen, am I not?"

Mo-Yeon chuckles in response, her eyes trying not to dart into Shi-Jin's direction. After their confrontation last night at her room, which rendered her sleepless despite the fatigue that plagued her throughout the night, there are no words she can try to piece together to answer his outburst. Well, in truth, it was more of her outburst than his, since he spoke to her so constipatedly gentle, like he's never talked to her before. She puts a spoonful of soup to her lips and gently dabs with the napkin on her lap. "Yeah, sure, I'm free now."

She feels Shi-Jin shifting uncomfortable in his seat as she selfishly takes Daniel on his offer, and makes a gesture to leave. The three men scramble to get on their feet as she prepares to stand.

"Shall I escort you to our fine garden? We've got a nice greenhouse at the back. I can have tea arranged for us," Daniel smiles, offering an arm to her.

Mo-Yeon takes Daniel's arm and turns her head to speak to Dae-Young. She catches Shi-Jin looking at her in her periphery but she tries to ignore him—not in the same way she would usually pretend he's not there, at times when she pretends she's cross with him to make him say sorry. This kind of ignoring was a self-conscious kind of ignoring. She is just too embarrassed of herself, of the words she let loose last night. And it is even more embarrassing that Shi-Jin is willing not to act pissed at her in front of Daniel, while there she is, being the 'mature' one. "Dae-Young, please move my meeting in the afternoon. You and the Captain can do as you please for the day, I will keep the other guards and Daniel's own with me."

"I am under Myeong-Joo's orders not to leave you alone," Shi-Jin interjects.

"I am under the impression that I am the Queen, Captain Yoo, and not General Yoon," Mo-Yeon bites back coldly, regretting it the minute it escaped her lips. She does not give Shi-Jin the chance to rebut and she motions at Daniel for them to go.

Shi-Jin watches Mo-Yeon and Daniel head out of the dining room, and lets a sour expression settle into his face.

"Would you like to drink?" Dae-Young asks.

Shi-Jin shrugs, "Well she did say we can take this bloody day off. Might as well."

Dae-Young punches Shi-Jin lightly on the shoulder and leads him out of the room, as well. He then hooks an arm on his neck, a small smile on his face. "Should we place bets on who gets to down more bottles, Captain Yoo Shi-Jin?"

Shi-Jin smiles to himself as well, grateful that his friend always just knows what to do. "You're on, Chief Seo Dae-Young."

"Don't cry when you lose then."

Shi-Jin's feels a new-found resolve burning a hole in his stomach and Dae-Young does not fail to see his eyes light up despite the recent developments in the plot he shares with Mo-Yeon. "Oh don't worry, I don't plan to lose."

 **Xxxxx**

 _October in Urk was beautiful—beautiful not just because of the holiday cheer settling early on the streets, but literally because the streets were decorated with flowers and lights, and festivities were, again, aplenty. October was the Queen's birth month and the whole Kingdom took it upon themselves to don the streets with lively and lovely things, and arrange a series of festivities and celebrations to honor their Queen._

 _Queen Ah-In was a leader that was immensely favored by her people. Before she took the throne, in fact, she was already a much-loved crown princess since she chose to frequent the commoners' streets and stores. At 14, she was already hosting banquets and charitable events, a regular volunteer at the elders' home, a patron at local bookstores and bakeries (she said she loved to shop and would prefer she did it herself), and many people swore that they each had a moment with her, either to talk, to ask for advice, or even gossip. She was straight out of a fairy tale; a princess that was loved by everyone, and shortly after, a queen that was adored and respected by her Kingdom._

 _When she became Queen, she tried her best to go out and mingle with the people, although her various duties and tight schedule rarely permitted her to do so. But Octobers were always a treat since it was the time of the year she made it a point to organize events and visits to various parts of the Kingdom, just like the old times._

 _But this October was turning to be a rather unfortunate exception._

" _I fear you would be needing more rest, Your Majesty, your body has become very frail as of late."_

 _Ah-In put down her cup of tea and stared at the view of Urk from her bedroom window. She sat across Doctor Song, who was joining her in her afternoon tea. "I've got a lot of activities planned for this month, Doctor, you know that. And I couldn't let my people down."_

" _Believe it or not, Your Majesty, you're ageing. You have got to be more careful of your health," Doctor Song replied, putting down his own cup._

" _Don't you think it's impolite to tell a woman she's ageing, Doctor?" Ah-In laughed, soft lines forming at the corner of her eyes and lips. "And I've been investing so much on my moisturizers, too!"_

" _I get a free pass because I'm a doctor, and you should really listen to what your doctor says, Ah-In." He was concerned now, and he's trying to make his sincerity come across._

 _Ah-In lifted her hand and placed it on top of Doctor Song's, and smiled. "You worry too much, old friend."_

" _We have been noticing significant weakening of your body, Ah-In. And while all of this is still constant with ageing, I want to be very careful and make sure there are no symptoms we're missing. Until I get the results from the exams we've conducted and until your body stops displaying deteriorating conditions, then I'm afraid our hands are tied," the doctor sighed in response._

 _Ah-In spared another long look at the outlines of the roofs and buildings that decorated her window and nodded, finally. She was easier to tire lately and she started needing more sleep. She noticed that she frequently felt nauseous in the morning, and even her eyesight was getting worse. Long walks that before were a joy, now proved to be too difficult to bear._

 _She squeezed Doctor Song's hand and looked at him, pleading. "For my daughter, doctor, I'll do anything. Help me."_


	10. Something different

Chapter 10

 _Mo-Yeon knew she was dreaming._

 _She was at the Queen's Gardens and the sun was shining brightly, but gently, all over the fields. Everything looked heavenly, gentler, like a soft filter was fitted over her eyes, and the sound of everything came muffled to her ears. She saw the water dancing in the fountain right in front of her but it sounded as if it was miles away. She could see the servants scuttling behind her but she couldn't hear their greetings as they walked past her._

 _She looked down at her own hands and feet and noticed how tiny they were, as if to complement the rather frilly dress that she knew she wouldn't be caught wearing._ Ah, _she thought,_ this must be when I was nine.

 _Mo-Yeon, unlike her mother in her younger years, barely left the palace. If she was left to do as she pleased, she stayed in her room, read books, and colored pictures. This was actually one of the rare circumstances that she decided to wander outside the walls of her safe place because she and her mother had a bit of a fight. She was cranky for no reason and was shouting at her handmaids, which, unfortunately, caught her mother's ears. Oh, what an earful she got from Ah-In, after that._

 _Which led to her being at the Queen's Gardens, after telling herself she would run away to Denmark to be with Daniel instead._

 _Mo-Yeon still knew she was dreaming, but this dream was an exact recreation of a memory—although it's a memory she vaguely remembers when she's awake. She turned around in anticipation of the children that will be making an appearance around this time. Two boys and a girl started to approach her, with the girl tightly clinging on to the arms of the two boys._

" _Hey, that's the princess! She's outside!" The girl pointed at her, letting go of one of the boys' arm. The boy that the girl is still clinging on to just stared at Mo-Yeon._

 _Mo-Yeon was surprised that she was actually hearing them._

" _The princess never goes out, does she? Maybe this is like a doppel…dopper…doppler—gah whatever you call that. Maybe she is an imposter!" The other boy said, taking a step towards Mo-Yeon._

 _Mo-Yeon took one step away from the trio, pissed off that they didn't know the word doppelganger. She couldn't spell it, she knew, but at least she knew what the word was. At least all the reading she did paid off._

" _Hey, don't be scared. I'm just kidding." The boy who couldn't pronounce doppelganger said, his two hands how reaching in front of him._

" _Don't go near her, she might bite you." The girl frowned._

" _I doubt that," The boy replied. He was now smiling and getting closer. "Look at her, she looks lonely."_

 _The girl scoffed at the boy. "Come on, let's go home. She doesn't like playing with others."_

 _The boy was now an arm's length from Mo-Yeon. He extended an arm towards her and he mouthed something, but the sounds were now muffled again and Mo-Yeon did not hear his words. She just stared at him as his mouth continued to move. The boy then took her hand and shook it, sporting a grin on his pretty face. He said something in that voiceless dialect and waved goodbye, before taking off with the other two kids. Mo-Yeon stayed rooted to the spot, looking at the hand that the boy took in his. The image of the boy crossed her mind once more before she wiped the hand on the skirt of her dress and hurried back to her room._

 _ **Xxxxx**_

"You know, it's really great sitting together like this, drinking tea, just like the old times." Daniel says, which earns him a smile from Mo-Yeon. The two are seated across each other, enjoying a cup of Earl Grey amongst the blossoming flora housed in the glass greenhouse. Mo-Yeon examines the flowers near them and remembers her mother's garden, and her long slender image standing happily amidst the plants that she sometimes talked to. Mo-Yeon always thought how silly Ah-In was, talking to her plants. But then again, Ah-In was a goddess to everyone, everything. Maybe even the flowers listened to her that's why the Queen's Gardens was always in bloom.

"When was the last time we just sat like this, Daniel?" Mo-Yeon asks, bringing the cup of tea to her lips. The cup was a beautiful piece of china, mimicking the abundance of colors that surround them.

"Ah, let me see." Daniel brings one hand to his chin, scratching slightly, before he gives up. "You know what, it was so long ago I couldn't even remember it anymore."

Mo-Yeon frowns and makes a clicking sound with her tongue. "This is all my fault! I could have come to visit you. I just didn't want to see your Queen that's why I never did."

Daniel chuckles and waves a dismissing hand in front of Mo-Yeon. "Don't blame yourself. If I wasn't too busy, then I would have dropped by Urk myself." He pauses and takes a long sip of tea. "I hope you don't take offense in what I'm about to say, Mo-Yeon, but I'm glad this happened and I finally get to see you again. It's been ages and I worry about you."

"You always do, Daniel. Your letters and e-mails never fail to remind me of that, too!" Mo-Yeon smiles in response.

"But how are you holding up, Mo-Yeon, honestly?"

Mo-Yeon pauses a moment and thinks. "Well, honestly, apart from the whole Chairman Han thing, it's nice at the castle nowadays. It's less quiet. In fact, I have been training, too! Look at these muscles." Mo-Yeon holds up an arm and pretends to flex.

"Myeong-Joo finally finds the patience in her to train you?" Daniel laughs.

"It's Captain Yoo, actually." Mo-Yeon replies bitterly, folding her hands back into her lap. "He's a real great help, and has a rotten sense of humor that works very well around the palace."

"I am very happy you've got someone like him beside you, Mo-Yeon." Daniel says, his voice more serious. "Judging by how protective he is of you, I can rest easier."

"He is obnoxious and unpredictable, that much I know." Mo-Yeon frowns, her eyes dodging Daniel's. She spares a long look at her wrist watch and watches the small hand overtake the longer hand. The thought of Shi-Jin makes her a bit uncomfortable as she remembers their exchange last night.

Daniel senses the discomfort in Mo-Yeon and decides to change the subject. "By the way, do you have your phone with you? I've got something I've been meaning to show you"

"Yeah, it's here." Mo-Yeon fumbles for her pouch and brings out a pink iPhone.

"Could you open your AirDrop for me? I'll send you something."

As soon as her AirDrop is on, a notification that Daniel Spencer wants to send a file pops up. She hits OK to receive the file and a picture of a rather aged man opens in her Photos. "Who is this?"

"I was hoping you'd know, actually." Daniel says, putting down his own. "We've received reports of this man causing trouble in the IF. I wonder if you've come across him during the gala?"

Mo-Yeon bites her lower lip as she racks her memory for the guy in the photo. "No, sorry, he doesn't even look remotely familiar."

Daniel nods. "That's fine, I just thought you might have recognized him."

Mo-Yeon looks at the photo of the man harder and then eyes Daniel. "Why are you looking for him, though, when you're not even affiliated with the IF?"

"I just heard about him from the minister of France, is all. He asked if I could help ask around since he's proving hard to track," Daniel shrugs and puts his phone back into his coat pocket.

"I see." Mo-Yeon nods and spares another glance at her watch.

"Did you have a schedule to keep, Mo-Yeon? It seems you're wary of the time," Daniel asks.

Mo-Yeon shakes her head violently. "Never mind me, it's just a force of habit."

Daniel, however, stands up and offers a hand to Mo-Yeon. "No, I think I should bring you back. I have some things to sort at the office, anyway, if that's alright?"

Mo-Yeon doubles back and ponders if there's anything she said that might have disappointed Daniel, prompting this early invitation to separate. Coming up with nothing, she takes his hand helplessly. "Okay, but you've got to make it up to me. I've missed you lots and I think you owe me stories, Daniel."

Daniel smiles and starts to walk Mo-Yeon back to the palace. "Of course. I look forward to your stories, too, Mo-Yeon, maybe when you're less distracted and I'm less busy."

Mo-Yeon admonishes herself for getting worked up by Yoo Shi-Jin, not noticing that her hand is digging into Daniel's arm in frustration. Daniel looks to her in concern.

"Could you bring me to Captain Yoo's quarters instead, Daniel? I wish to arrange some things regarding my schedule, as well."

"Of course." Daniel replies and they spend the walk back to the palace talking about what's new in Denmark and Urk, steering away from conversations about the gala, the IF, or Yoo Shi-Jin. As they approach Shi-Jin's quarters, Daniel bids Mo-Yeon farewell as he heads back to his office at the other side of the palace.

Mo-Yeon stands in front of the brass doors feeling uncertain. She releases a deep breath and summons a charm of calming, but she is unable to woo the angry beating of her heart against her chest. She tries to ask herself why she was going to Yoo Shi-Jin's quarters again and remembers she wants—needs—to say sorry. Would it help if she rehearsed a piece or would it sound fake? Should she just go for it and say whatever's on her mind? But then again, she remembers last night's burst of emotions, which makes "saying whatever's on her mind" not such a great idea after all. But before she makes her decision, she hears footsteps behind her and sees Yoo Shi-Jin and Seo Dae-Young approaching, with Shi-Jin laughing carelessly at something Dae-Young is saying. As Shi-Jin sees her, his mouth suddenly draws back into a thin line, his face losing the gaiety it was just hosting.

Shi-Jin and Dae-Young stop a few feet from her and Dae-Young offers a salute before leaving the two. Shi-Jin gives Mo-Yeon an expressionless stare and pushes through her to open his door. Mo-Yeon bites her lip in anxiety and follows him inside his room.

The room is regal, clean and spotless. No sign that a man is staying here, except for the laptop that lounged on the desk at the end of the room. Shi-Jin goes for the closed window and draws the curtains back to allow sunlight to enter the room. He leans against the window which made looking at him quite difficult since his blocking against the harsh sunlight made him almost a block of shadow. Mo-Yeon stops a few feet from him, near the table with the laptop, and traces his profile against the window with her eyes.

"Did you need something, Doctor Kang? I thought we were free to enjoy the day," Shi-Jin says mockingly. Mo-Yeon was used to Shi-Jin mocking him but it was always a playful banter between them. This kind of mocking, she finds, is not too pleasant.

"I came to say sorry about the things I said last night." Mo-Yeon offers, her gaze shifting to nowhere, anywhere that is not Yoo Shi-Jin. Shi-Jin, too, is looking away from her, at a fixed spot on the dark blue wallpaper.

"Did you come to accept that you may have been wrong about Daniel? That I may be right and he should at least warrant an investigation?"

Mo-Yeon's jaw tightens and her head snaps back to Shi-Jin, who still isn't looking at him. She catches a whiff of something and lines appear in her face. "You've been drinking."

"I have. But that doesn't mean I'm drunk. It only means I'm upset. You told us to take the day off so we did, jeez." Shi-Jin bites back at her. "And you still haven't answered my question."

"Why are you being like this? I don't get why all of you are so hostile against Daniel!" Mo-Yeon asks, her voice now dangerously rising again. She tries to keep her temper in check and reminds herself she's come to say sorry about last night's outburst. She shouldn't be making another one.

"Why are **you** being like this? If he's so goddamn clean then—" a ringtone suddenly cuts Shi-Jin, which makes him look at Mo-Yeon, who is the source of the mysterious ringing. "—then you should just let us prove it after clearing him of all contempt."

Mo-Yeon fishes her cellphone out of her purse but lets it continue to ring as she recognizes the caller to be Myeong-Joo. She raises her voice to drown the continuous ringing. "You know what, I shouldn't be talking to you if you're drunk like this. There's nothing useful that will come out of an inebriated man."

"Really? You think the way you're acting now is the more useful approach? You think the way you're defending this guy—a guy that, let me remind you, has documented personal grudges against the IF—is the most useful way, as you have put it, in determining the mastermind behind Chairman Han's death?" Shi-Jin's voice was louder now, as well, to keep up with the relentless ringing of Mo-Yeon's phone.

"Documented? Documented by who? By Argus' testimonies? Wow, that's hardly what I call documented!"

"Did you know that Argus' statement about Daniel's prejudice has been confirmed by one of our investigators? No? Of course not. Because you're too googly-eyed about this, this Daniel, to even see if Argus' statement against him checks out!" Shi-Jin opens his mouth to continue, then closes it irritably, then opens it again to say, "And can you please just silence that phone? It's too loud!"

"Wow, now even my phone is irrational, even my ringtone is a problem!" Mo-Yeon bursts out, unable to keep the cool she promised herself to bring into the discussion.

"Guess what, yes, even your ringtone is a problem!"

"Well wouldn't you like to point all the problems at me!"

"Well I would prefer not to, but you being like that doesn't give me much of a choice!"

"And what exactly does me being like this even means?"

"Being like that! Being everything like that!"

"Being myself, you mean?"

"Yeah, maybe!"

"Well boo-hoo for you! If you hate this everything, then you're free to resign!" Mo-Yeon snaps and throws her ringing phone at Shi-Jin. Despite his inebriated state, Shi-Jin catches the phone that Mo-Yeon throws at him before she makes her way out of the door. As he hits cancel to silence the phone, he notices that the phone is too hot in his hands. He makes large strides to catch up to Mo-Yeon before she leaves the room and grabs her wrist.

"Let go of my hand, Yoo Shi-Jin, or I swear I will call Daniel's guards on you." Mo-Yeon threatens coldly.

Shi-Jin gives one uncalculated tug at her wrist and he pulls her towards him, a little too forcefully. He then puts the now silent but still hot phone back into her palm, his hand still enclosed on her wrist. "Your phone is too hot," he says between gritted teeth.

Mo-Yeon glares up at him, the smell of alcohol intoxicating her. "What, is that a problem now, too?" Mo-Yeon asks irritably, trying to yank her hand from Shi-Jin's.

"No, yes. That's a problem. Can you please just listen for a moment? Seriously. There's something wrong with your phone." Shi-Jin drags Mo-Yeon into the bed and pulls her down to sit beside him. He yanks the phone from her hand and examines it. "I think there's a bug in your phone."

"A what?"

"A bug. A listening or recording bug. We've seen one of these in Korea, where a file infiltrates the phone and it sends data back to the source of the bug," Shi-Jin explains, one hand still clasped firmly on Mo-Yeon's, while the other started opening apps and messages.

"Hey, don't open my messages!" Mo-Yeon tries to grab the phone with her free hand and fails. "And how did you know my password?"

"Your birthday isn't the hardest password in the world." Shi-Jin ignores her lame attempts to grab the phone and is now going through her photos. "I can't say for sure but we got to bring this to tech. This is too hot for an idle phone."

"It's not that hot actually, it's just like when I leave my data on for hours." Mo-Yeon shrugs, almost forgetting about the quarrel they were having.

"But your data's not on. And no games are running in the background, too. What's the last file you've downloaded from the internet?"

"Nothing since we came here. Just this one file Daniel sent a while ago."

Shi-Jin stops and looks at Mo-Yeon. He lets out a deep breath and opens the latest photo on the phone's gallery. He holds the phone in front of her. "Is this that photo?"

Mo-Yeon nods.

"That's not even a good photo. I'll bring this to tech." Shi-Jin says and stands up abruptly. Before he is out of the door, he spares another look at Mo-Yeon. "We'll continue **this** later."

Mo-Yeon remains seated at the edge of his bed, unable to process everything that happened so quickly. Her head is still spinning from the confusion and anger, but she couldn't be too sure which one she felt more anymore. But her eyes fall to the hand still resting on the bed, the hand that Shi-Jin held and kept so forcefully, and notices it was still sore, as if his hands never really left.

 **Xxxxx**

The dining hall is somber despite the soft Bach and Debussy that echo from the speakers. Mo-Yeon is at her usual place at the end of the table, playing lifelessly with the olive that's still on her plate. Dae-Young sits one chair apart from her, finishing his own plate of pasta. Mo-Yeon's thoughts linger back to her earlier spat with Shi-Jin, which prompts her to release a deep and frustrated sigh.

Dae-Young was instructed by Shi-Jin to stay with Mo-Yeon for the time being since they cancelled all her schedules for the day—not that there was much to cancel. He told him he was still with the tech guy that they brought along, examining Mo-Yeon's phone for the alleged bug. He looks at the restless Mo-Yeon and breaks the silence. "Your Highness—"

"Dae-Young, please, I've been insisting, for years, that you call me Mo-Yeon, like everyone else does," Mo-Yeon cuts him, trying to sound cheerful but failing miserably. "You and Min-Ji are two of a bunch, honestly."

Dae-Young hesitates for a moment and continues to talk. "Your Highness—" This earns him a reproachful look from Mo-Yeon but he decides to ignore it. "—I want to apologize in behalf of Shi-Jin for his behavior. He has always been stubborn and I think it's improper for him to act like this towards the Queen."

Mo-Yeon shakes her head. "No, don't. It's also been improper for me to act as I have been acting. I have been unbelievably stubborn myself since the gala and the pressure is just getting to us both, to all of us, in fact. This is why I want to thank you for keeping your cool and head above the water, unlike the two of us."

"Commander Yoon will reprimand me quite thoroughly if I cause you any more stress and believe me, Your Highness, I fear her more than anything," Dae-Young replies, his voice unusually gentler.

"I am very much afraid of her too, if that helps." Mo-Yeon chuckles slightly as she thinks about Myeong-Joo scolding her back at the castle.

"You won't believe it but when we were younger—this was the time you spent years studying overseas—the Captain was the least patient of us three. Myeong-Joo had to watch him and sometimes rein him in since he always complained about everything and challenged everyone. Even Her Majesty Queen Ah-In sometimes would have to save Shi-Jin from getting punished by his father for saying some things out of line," Dae-Young reminisces, his eyes scanning his plate as he speaks. "He has a strong sense of morality, of honor, and pride. And he will fight for what he believes is right, even though sometimes he tends to cross the line. This is why we though Queen Ah-In sent him abroad, too. For him to gain more experience, see more of the world, evaluate and remodel his principles. Not that we thought his principles lie in the wrong, no. But it's how he acted on these principles that maybe the Queen wanted him to re-examine."

Mo-Yeon watches Dae-Young as he gets absorbed in his own story, and notices how fondly and highly he speaks of Shi-Jin. "Well I wouldn't say he is the most patient man, but I'm not the easiest Queen to deal with either so props to all of you for keeping up with this Kardashian."

Dae-Young lifts his eye from his plate to meet Mo-Yeon's and they quietly stare at each other before he gets distracted by his phone vibrating in his chest pocket. He fishes out his phone and reads the message to Mo-Yeon. "Captain Yoo says he can't be sure just yet, tech is still trying to trace the source of the bug. But it's confirmed that a malware is downloaded into your phone."

Mo-Yeon frowns as she hears this and stands up abruptly, prompting Dae-Young to do the same. "I'm sorry, I couldn't sit idly by without knowing anymore. I'm asking Daniel, right now."

Mo-Yeon marches out of the dining hall towards Daniel's office, with Dae-Young and three other guards in tow. One short hallway and two left turns later, she's outside a set of wooden doors. She lets out one deep exhale and lets herself inside his office without knocking.

Daniel gets caught by surprise as Mo-Yeon suddenly emerges into his room and by the look on her face, he already knew she knew. He leaves his chair and crosses his desk to stand in front of her. "Mo-Yeon…"

"Did you place a bug on my phone, Daniel? Did the file you sent me do that?" Mo-Yeon asks calmly, tears dangerously forming on her eyes. She is biting her lower lip a little harder than usual to keep her words and reaction in check. Why she feels like crying, she's not entirely sure, but if she were to write down the list of emotions that's made a battlefield of her sanity, frustration is certainly right there at the top.

"Mo-Yeon, I'm sorry, it's not what you think—"

"Then tell me what to think, Daniel!" Mo-Yeon cries, streams of tears now gushing out from her eyes. Her efforts to wipe her face are futile as tears continue to stain her cheeks. "I've been defending you from everyone, non-stop, because I know you and I trust you. But a bug? What am I supposed to tell them now, huh? That you're just protective of me that's why you planted that bug? Or that you're a perv just looking through my photos? Tell me, Daniel! It feels like I don't even believe what I'm saying anymore!"

"Mo-Yeon, look, please calm down, and let me explain," Daniel says, reaching out to Mo-Yeon. She steps back so he could not reach him. "I'm sorry, but yes, that bug was mine. They probably won't be able to trace the bug back to the file I sent but I'm telling you now, yes, it's from me. And it's programmed to send to me all the messages and calls you'll be making and receiving."

Mo-Yeon's hands fly to her face as she hears his confession. Her hands, now trembling in anger and surprise, cover her mouth, muffling the words she's too dumbfounded to form or say.

"I planted that bug because I know you've been investigating me. Not you, maybe, but your men. And I couldn't risk being found out because if they uncover my tracks, they'll try to pin Chairman Han's murder on me and believe me, Mo-Yeon, I wouldn't do that. I couldn't do that."

Mo-Yeon shakes her head, unable to say any more. Daniel takes this cue to keep explaining. He reaches out to a drawer on his desk and opens a folder that read "Confidential" for Mo-Yeon to see. "These are the tracks I've been trying to hide. My investigation into the IF. The reason why I'm not affiliated with the IF is that I have been trying to uncover the corruption that long has settled into the foundation, its roots going back to Chairman Han. I've uncovered IF funds getting transferred into dummy accounts, ammunitions donated by IF members unaccounted for, black market transactions and deals. This is why I have been investigating him and keeping it under the radar. But imagine, Mo-Yeon, if investigators find out that I have been keeping tabs on him. What does that make me look? If they don't find the real perpetrators, it's so easy to pin the blame on me because I have the motive and means to do it. And I swear, I didn't do it, Mo-Yeon. You know I'm not that kind of man."

Mo-Yeon sniffs and carelessly wipes the tears on her face with the back of her hand. She looks at Daniel, at how helplessly sorry he looks. But then again, he deceived her. The person she thought she could trust with her life deceived her. "I'm sorry, Daniel, I don't know I can believe all of this just yet." She then runs out of the office and heads back to her room.

Mo-Yeon falls into the floor, her back leaning against the bed. Her knees are curled towards her and her arms are hugging her legs. Tears continue to leak and stain her skirt but she makes no noise. Just tears, silent tears, escaping her eyes, rolling on her cheeks, and falling on her dress. There is nothing else she can think of—or rather, nothing else she wants to think of. She empties her mind, she empties her emotions, and just focuses on the splotches of wetness on her dress. Feeling weakness settling in, she lets her arms fall on the floor beside her and her eyes shut.

It felt as if only a few heartbeats have passed when a warm hand finally encloses on her left hand. She keeps her eyes closed, her body against the bed, and focuses her senses on the hand that is now steady and unmoving on hers. The hand is huge and tough; a hand that has seen many things and experienced many heartaches. The hand is unmoving, unflinching; a hand that has resolve, that will fight for what it believes is right and just. The hand is warm and comforting; a hand that she can hold for minutes, hours, maybe even eternities, able to keep the coldness at bay, the monsters lurking in the dark, and the sadness threatening to spill in the most quiet of moments.

Nothing else makes a sound but Mo-Yeon's ragged breathing from the all the crying. Then a voice comes from behind them and breaks the spell. "Mo-Yeon, do you want to talk?"

The voice is Daniel's. But Daniel couldn't see them, sitting against the large bed. The huge bed and frame hid them from Daniel's view and somehow, Mo-Yeon felt that comforting.

"Mo-Yeon, I know you're in there." Daniel calls again.

Mo-Yeon sniffs and clears her throat, speaking softly, but enough for Daniel to hear on the other side of the room. "I'll talk to you in the morning, Daniel. I have some things to think about first."

Daniel sighs and nods, and takes the hint to leave. As Mo-Yeon hears the door shut, she opens her eyes and sees in her periphery the outline of Yoo Shi-Jin, staring intently ahead, at the tiny peak of light made by the small gap between the carelessly drawn curtains. Mo-Yeon doesn't move, doesn't look at Shi-Jin, and stares at the same spot that holds his gaze, at the tiny gap of light made by the setting sun, soft and warm and comforting.

She then wriggles her hand from the weight of his, and shifts it sideways to interlock hers with his. Mo-Yeon realizes this is the first time she's held hands like this with anybody other than Daniel. It's gentle yet assuring. It's a little firm yet snug. And somehow, although it's the same kind of hand-holding, interlocked like this, it's also different. Too different. And it's a different kind of feeling she could get used to.


	11. Picture perfect

Chapter 11

It's another dream, _Mo-Yeon thought, as she found herself curled up under a table in the middle of a bustling castle kitchen._

 _It was Mo-Yeon's tenth birthday and Ah-In threw a huge ball at the castle to celebrate. People from all over the world came to party but she knew no one was actually there for her. All the adults were just there to drink, eat, and rub elbows with all the other important people. And that's not the worst part of this evening, Mo-Yeon thought as she frowned and hugged her knees more tightly. Daniel wasn't there because his parents were too busy to fly to Urk tonight._

 _Mo-Yeon felt tears threaten to fall from her eyes as the frustration settled in. She didn't like her birthday dress, which was, again, too frilly. Her feet hurt from the new shoes a supposedly known cobbler had sent yesterday. Her hair was heavy and the curls weren't quite right. And Daniel, her favorite Daniel, couldn't even play with her, read to her, wish her a Happy Birthday._

 _The cloth that hid her from the activity in the kitchen swayed and Mo-Yeon inched back a little because she knew this was the part where the boy will come join her under the table._

" _Hey, I found the princess!" the boy said, shocked, as he entered Mo-Yeon's hidden sanctuary._

" _Shhhh!" Mo-Yeon placed a finger on her lips to ask him to lower his voice._

" _Why are you hiding here? Are we playing a game?" the boy asked, grinning, but he kept his voice now into a whisper._

" _What are you, five? I'm hiding from everyone, duh. I hate my party." Mo-Yeon frowned. "This dress sucks, my hair sucks, my shoes sucks, and everyone sucks!" As she said this, tears started to roll down her face._

 _The boy was taken by surprise, with no idea what to do to stop her from crying. He then drew a white handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Mo-Yeon, which she examined for snot. "Hey, don't cry anymore. You don't want to ruin your pretty face."_

 _Mo-Yeon's crying started to wane as she used the boy's handkerchief to tidy her face. "Don't I look ghastly in this gown?"_

" _Of course, not! Is that all that's keeping you from going out of this table? Not saying this isn't a great hiding spot because it's genius!" The boy answered with a grin. He then reached out to straighten the pink fascinator that sat on Mo-Yeon's head. "This hat is actually pretty nice, too. I'd like to wear if I was in a gown, but unfortunately, I'm not."_

" _Well, not just that. It's like everyone's here partying, but they're not celebrating my birthday."_

" _Well I'm celebrating your birthday. My father and I even brought you a gift, it's outside." The boy lifted a hand to point outside. "But, you know, if you'd like to stay here and hide for a while, I could keep your guards off your trail and tell them that maybe I saw you running to the ladies' lavatory."_

 _Ten-year-old Mo-Yeon felt a small tug at her lips as the boy said this and nodded._

" _Okay then, but don't forget to eat your share of your cake, it's delicious!" The boy winked and started to gather himself to head outside. "Oh, and by the way, Happy Birthday."_

 **Xxxxx**

It's been two days since the confrontation between Mo-Yeon and Daniel and a lot has changed. For starters, Mo-Yeon and Daniel are civil again, after Daniel explained his side of the story more thoroughly to a calmer Mo-Yeon. But them being civil is not exactly them returning to what they used to be. Mo-Yeon has even expressed her desire to continue with their allied rehabilitation schedule and move on from Denmark, despite their previous plan to stay for a week. Her wishes, however, were thwarted by Yoo Shi Jin, as he would like to finish their investigation on Daniel before they leave. While Daniel did take extra effort to explain the entirety of his plan, Shi-Jin believes they would still have to poke around to see if his story does check out. And this has left Mo-Yeon in quite a foul mood.

This morning's breakfast is again devoid of Daniel and Eun-Ji, putting Mo-Yeon at ease. She settles herself into her usual seat at the end of the table, with Shi-Jin beside her, and Dae-Young beside him. But as she tries to eat her toast in peace, she notices Shi-Jin ignoring his food and just staring at her.

"Do I have dirt on my face?" Mo-Yeon puts her fork down irritably and meets Shi-Jin's gaze.

"No."

"Then why don't you mind your own food and stop staring at me?" She snaps back at him.

"On second thought, yeah, you've got something on your face." Shi-Jin reaches out to Mo-Yeon and dusts at the spot at the end of her lips.

"There wasn't anything there, Your Highness, he just wants to make an excuse to touch you." Dae-Young says in a deadpan tone, digging into his own toast.

Shi-Jin scowls at Dae-young and hits him in the shoulder. "How can you say that? You didn't even look!" He then turns to Mo-Yeon, who is silently watching them bicker. He tries to put a smile for show to hide his embarrassment. "Don't listen to him, he's just cranky because he misses Myeong-Joo."

Mo-Yeon rolls her eyes and gets back to finishing her toast. "Can you just let me finish my breakfast in peace?"

Shi-Jin nods half-heartedly and picks up his cup of coffee. His cup hangs in mid-air as his mind wanders, and with a loud clank, he gets Mo-Yeon's attention once more. "Doctor Kang, ah, what forgetful mind do I have!" He says in his signature overacting voice. "I just remembered, you must be somewhere this morning, and I have to take you there while Dae-Young and the rest of the guards stay here to complete some errands for the investigations."

"Won't it be better if you stay here for the investigations and let, i-unno, three, four guards accompany me?" Mo-Yeon shrugs, stuffing the last piece of toast on her mouth.

"No, it has to be me with you. I can't let you out of my sight again," Shi-Jin replies, a little more serious this time.

"Okay then, let's get this over with." Mo-Yeon removes the napkin on her lap and stands up. Shi-Jin gives Dae-Young a you-take-care-of-things-here signal and disappears with Mo-Yeon from the dining hall. The two make their way to the top-down Volkswagen that Daniel has reserved for their use and they head out.

"You know you shouldn't let your Queen ride a top-down." Mo-Yeon says, resting her elbow on the rolled-down window. "Myeong-Joo would scold you for compromising my safety."

Shi-Jin reaches one arm at the side of his seat and throws a sun hat and a scarf on Mo-Yeon's lap. He also reaches into his pocket and slides a pair of Ray-Ban on his face. "Security? There you go. Grade 1 security equipment."

Mo-Yeon examines the sun hat and scarf and laughs. "Surprisingly, these are actually pretty decent pieces."

"It's Givenchy, mind you. Spent my whole year's worth of paycheck for those." Shi-Jin replies smugly.

"Just so you know, that's not a compliment. I'm just saying these are pretty decent for your standards." Mo-Yeon chuckles and puts on the hat and the scarf. She rests her head on her arms and looks out of the car. "The wind is so nice today. We don't get weather this great at Urk."

"Hey, I haven't quite bounced back from your insult just yet and you've already moved on to the weather? Ah, women," Shi-Jin clicks his tongue and shakes his head. "This is why I'm single."

Mo-Yeon turns her head back to Shi-Jin and squints her eyes at him. "What, you're gonna make me ask, seriously?"

"Make you ask what?"

"If, I don't know—" Mo-Yeon pauses and clears her throat uncomfortably. She then manages to blurt out, "ifyou'vedatedwomenbefore."

"If I've what before?" Shi-Jin laughs, not quite catching Mo-Yeon's undecipherable ramble, but somehow, he understands what she's trying to ask.

"If you've dated before, gosh!" Mo-Yeon barks at him but averts her gaze.

Shi-Jin runs a hand through his hair and lets his arm settle into the head of Mo-Yeon's seat. His right hand he keeps on the wheel. "My, I can't remember how many I've dated."

Mo-Yeon scoffs. "Wow, what a show-off."

"No, I mean, I don't even remember the women I've dated. Because I haven't really dated anyone seriously."

"What, that's supposed to make me feel great about you?"

"Depends. Does the fact that I haven't been serious with any woman before makes you feel good?"

Mo-Yeon blushes at his question so she keeps her face hidden from him. "I-I don't care!"

Shi-Jin keeps the chuckle from escaping his lips and spares a quick look at Mo-Yeon. "If you say so."

They then spend the rest of the ten-minute drive in silence, apart from Mo-Yeon's outbursts of "Look at that!" every now and then. As they reach their destination, Shi-Jin parks the car in front of a sign that reads "Svansholm." In front of them lay a large gate with a thicket of greens and flowers poking behind.

"What are we doing here?" Mo-Yeon asks as she disembarks from the car. They approach the gate and Shi-Jin opens the wooden gate with an antique-looking key he fishes out from his chest pocket. Mo-Yeon reaches out a hand to touch the wooden gate and it feels ancient.

Shi-Jin pushes the wooden gate open and lets Mo-Yeon in, and the sight catches the two of them in awe. The path from the wooden gate is littered with tiny daisy weeds and buttercups, and an archway filled with creeping blue moon wisterias and morning glory buds welcomes them into the garden. Shi-Jin and Mo-Yeon walks under the blooming archway and they reach a clearing filled with more flowers and plants, neatly orchestrated into surrounding a wooden white bench.

Shi-Jin plops down into the bench and stuffs his shades back into his pocket, as Mo-Yeon examines the flowers, still awestruck. "This is usually used for events, I was told. Thought you might like it. You fit in here perfectly, like a painting of a lost woman who has stumbled into a forbidden garden."

Mo-Yeon turns around to face Shi-Jin, who is a handful of feet from her. An unused bird bath stood right across the bench and she leaned her back against it. The sun was not too harsh and she thought the way it illuminated him and the bench was even more picturesque than how he's putting her to be.

"You've been so stressed for the past few days I thought you deserved a break," Shi-Jin says, smiling. His leg is crossed on the other and his other arm dangles on the backrest of the bench. "I didn't bring tea though, which now I'm starting to think I should have brought. Didn't reckon you can't do much here if there's no actual event happening," He laughs nervously.

"So this is how you plan dates, Captain? Half-assed and unprepared?" Mo-Yeon laughs, mockingly.

"So you think this is a date?" Shi-Jin prods.

Mo-Yeon is caught off-guard by his question and rubs the back of her ear in response. She racks her mind for a change in subject and bursts out randomly, "You weren't there in my mother's funeral, were you?"

Shi-Jin shakes his head and a sad smile creeps into his lips. Their eyes are still locked into each other as he speaks. "I was never able to return. I couldn't return, in fact."

"Everyone was there, but you. That's why I never met you before. Why didn't you come, Yoo Shi-Jin?"

"Pride? Sorrow? I don't know. I have no good reasons. I just never found the heart to come back and see the Kingdom like that, torn limb by limb, one man after another. The Queen's death was the last straw. I thought Urk was going to crumble and I won't be able to do anything if I returned the same man, maybe even worse, than when I left." Shi-Jin says silently, bringing his hands together on top of his knee. "After what happened with Myeong-Joo's father, my father, and then your mother. Wow, it's like the old people got wrenched from our hands forcefully, one by one."

"We haven't given up on your father, yet, right?"

"Yeah, no. Of course not." Shi-Jin says with a half of a smile.

"Why did you come back, then? After all those years? Do you think you're a better person now? More learned, more experienced?" Mo-Yeon asks, steering the conversation again.

"Is this a job interview? Because it sounds just like one and I already got the job." Shi-Jin jokes. "They showed me your photo and I thought, 'that's one fine queen,' and that made me drag my sorry self back to Urk!"

Mo-Yeon gives Shi-Jin a reproachful look and he replies with a chuckle. "What? What do you want to hear, Doctor Kang?"

"Don't ask me what I want to hear. Tell me what you want to say."

Shi-Jin searches Mo-Yeon's eyes and realizes, for the first time, how similar they are to Ah-In's. Mo-Yeon's fiery and determined gaze, all along, is the same as Ah-In's gentle and kind eyes. "It felt like the time has come for me to go home. And Queen Ah-In told me, before I left, that I'll know, the exact time, when I'm needed back at Urk. And when Myeong-Joo called me up that week, I knew, it was the time I had to go back."

Mo-Yeon smiles. A heartbeat, a bird whistles, a gush of wind blows hard enough, knocking Mo-Yeon's hat into the ground. "And you know what, your timing couldn't be more right."

Shi-Jin looks at Mo-Yeon for a moment, at that priceless smile etched on her beautiful face, and he raises himself from the bench, makes his way directly to her, takes her face in both her hands, leans in, and finally, after all this time, closes the distance between them.


End file.
